Request
by writersaddiction
Summary: Wishes, dreams, and bargains make people heroes or villains. Marinette and Adrien are no exception to that rule. AU. Rated for blood and dead things, I guess. Pairings exist. Rejoice and enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

The handcuffs hurt. Hurt enough to draw blood. While it wasn't a lot, the drops left room to wonder how much would need to be out of his system for him to be counted as a free person. His imagination was boundless, but his cage was a little less bright. He couldn't remember how he ended up in such a dreadful situation, only that he was trapped here until someone let him go. Strangely enough, there was no light in this room, but he could still see perfectly fine, albeit slightly hazy on the edges.

"I see you're finally awake," spoke a mischievous voice from somewhere he couldn't see. Glowing green flickered into view, two fresh dots of light that floated closer to him. With his altered vision, he almost could make out a tiny, sprite-like and shadowy creature with pointed ears. He could tell this cat had a much more devious intent from its snickers. "I'm Plagg, and you must be here to make a deal."

"A deal?" The boy raised an eyebrow, similarly green but not as bright eyes widening at the suggestion. Was this puny kitten some kind of demon? He leaned back when the tricky animal flew closer to his face.

"Yeah," the cat drawled, "A deal. I haven't seen a human in a long time. Your being here means you want a wish granted and I'm here to grant it for you. At a price, of course." He could see thin whiskers twitch on the black cat's face and the sly grin that curled from one side to the other, puny fangs gleaming in the strange darkness.

He thought to a time before being here, when he had begged for one thing in particular. After his mother disappeared, his father grew distant and cold, and all the boy wanted was for his mother to return and his father to be happy again. Things could be brighter. He could have the one thing his wealthy father couldn't bring back with money; joy.

"It's in your blood."

"My blood?" She questioned with a frightened whimper to follow.

The sparkling, bright red and ladybug-like fairy thing circled around in front of her, giggling as it went. "Yes. You want him, don't you? For your crush to not be sad anymore and finally fall for you. You want to make him happy, as much as you can. I can see it there, all perfectly pictured. You'd save the world just to see him smile. You have a kind heart for a human."

She blinked a few times in awe, peering down at the shackles around her ankles. The pain was deep, but she knew then it was there for a reason. Whatever this magical bug was offering, it had to be with good intentions, right? She could trust it, Tikki, with her wish. "Thank you," she said with an innocent smile.

Tikki landed back in her awaiting hands, radiance making the whole cell visible. "My offer is simple. The power I give you lets you create whatever object you might need but sometimes might not want. You must understand how to use this magic and the items to your advantage, in order to stop the evil going after you. You have as many lives as you do spots and only evil magic can harm you." Tikki paused, turning to look outside the bars of the cell.

Following along, she couldn't quite tell what to see out there. The glow was only so bright and cast its shine only so far. She couldn't hear anything moving or speaking besides the two of them. For all she knew, they were alone in this dark place. Was it the evil Tikki spoke of?

When the ladybug sprite turned back, the explanation continued, though she could see some hesitance in those bright eyes. "You have to be careful and clever if you want your wish to come true, though I'm sure you can handle it, Marinette."

The girl furrowed her brows, absolutely unsure of those words. In fact, there was something about the way Tikki phrased that sentence that worried her. "What about my end of the deal? You haven't mentioned what I have to do to get my wish granted."

"Oh..." It was almost like the ladybug sprite had purposefully forgotten that bit of information. Marinette couldn't help pondering why. "Well that's easy," said the suddenly happy Tikki, floating up to poke the human's head, "You have to prove yourself a hero by saving someone."

"That's all?" She asked in disbelief. If that was the case, then she'd have her wish granted by the end of the week. If there was an evil after her, then she'd be able to save the day and have the one person she could ever ask for at her side. It shouldn't be that hard. She could be a hero if she tried hard enough. Her friend Alya always talked to her about admirable superheroes in comic books and movies, with powers that helped them stop the bad guys and save the day.

"Only one person will do. Then you'll have Adrien's heart and happiness."

Confidence bloomed within her. "Then it's a deal," she declared, pumping her fists into the air and laughing with her newfound friend.


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien woke up that morning dead tired and with Plagg's sly snickers resounding in his mind. "Have fun." That was the last thing he had heard the cat say after he agreed to the bargain. He shook his head, for a second wondering if it was all one big crazy dream, as he found himself in his large and familiar bedroom. It couldn't have been though, he could feel the magic Plagg had bestowed upon him coursing through his veins.

He looked to his right hand and saw the similar green glow from the strange creature's eyes swarming like wisps or parasites in his skin.

With nine lives under his belt, it shouldn't be hard to defeat this mysterious evil the strange cat in his dreams had alluded to.

You know, the more Adrien let the thought repeat in his head, the more convoluted it sounded. He wasn't crazy; that was the kicker. In his right hand was the chance to make things right again. He had an opportunity to make his one true wish come true, one he had begged for so long to do so.

Now given this... Freedom, as he would then decide to call it, he felt brave enough to enact the next step in his new scheme. He stumbled out of bed, not even caring that it was hours before his father's assistant Nathalie would come to wake him up.

Preparations had to be made. This Gabriel Agreste dwelled upon as he sat at his desk, sifting through his work and thoughts. One would think all the disarray was impossible to think with, but, for the man at the helm of Paris' fashion industry, he knew had to handle it so well, it was simply how he worked.

Of course, fashion designing wasn't the only thing his mind had time to think about. In fact, he hadn't given it a thought since midnight, when he was assured his son and assistant weren't going to bother him at his workplace. No, when left to his own devices, Gabriel had other plans to enact upon, besides readying pieces for shows and observing invites to the irregular social gathering.

His industry could wait when he had a want as heavy on his shoulders as the weight of all the money in the world. It was something no money could ever purchase. This plan was based off a special myth, one he had learned of not long after his desire had arisen.

There was a special place far beyond the realm of humans, where magical, possibly god-like beings roamed. They supposedly came to humans of their own free will, sometimes granting these chosen humans wishes in return for something drastic and personal. While many of them weren't documented, the famous Agreste didn't care which of the ones he had learned of he came into contact with. All he demanded was that one come and grant his wish.

He'd give anything, do anything, try anything to get his wife back.

It was a promise. One she had vowed to keep. It was so nerve-wracking to think that Adrien was so close to being hers that Marinette had almost forgotten to wake up half an hour before school started to meet up with Alya at the front steps.

She had no one to blame but herself when she practically fell down the steps from her bed in a heap of excited teenage girl and warm blanket. In a hurry, she put on her chosen outfit and grabbed her bag, ready for the special, bright new day waiting for her right outside.

Paris wasn't as ready, however. The sky was a still dark and she only noticed this when she bounded down the steps and saw her father wasn't already thumping through the bakery kitchen, preheating ovens and preparing ingredients for orders.

Looking at her phone, she realized only then that it was almost 2 AM and she had no need to worry that she'd be late for her meet up with Alya or school for that matter. She was early for being early to wake up even. This rather upsetting fact only occurred to her then and yet she felt energized to greet the morning sun when it came. Maybe she was still riding on the thrill of her dream; the chance to do good and be rewarded for exactly as she wanted to be glued to every decision she made.

So, being as quiet and reluctant as she could despite these facts, Marinette returned to her room and sat at her desk.

Perhaps this was a good time to figure out how these new magical powers of hers really worked.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't odd for Adrien to see the desk light in his father's office still on at such a late hour. In accordance with that was the second certainty that he would always find his father sitting in that same chair, working on something related to fashion design or maybe Adrien's schedule for the coming day.

For the teen model, it was witnessing his father's actions from the outside the window instead of slipping in when he was a child and had experienced a bad dream that made the view all the more surreal. Gabriel looked so still and focused- then again, wasn't it always that way with his father? Never quite showing his true intentions, thoughts, or emotions unless he explicitly stated them. That was the impression Adrien had always gotten in regards to that subject, and he literally lived with the man.

He looked up, which was actually down in this case, and allowed himself a moment to access the ground below. Quietly, he unhooked his tail from its hold on the roof, dropping gracefully from the tall height and sticking the landing so perfectly that Adrien had to contain the triumphant cry he was close to letting out. This was amazing. After so long of being confined to the mansion behind him, it felt great to walk away free of specific schedules for even a mere hour or two.

In the cover of the Paris night and its shadows, the boy decided, he'd lurk about and play around with his new powers. Plagg said that he'd gain abilities beyond his expectations and more specifically, magic allowing him to destroy anything he touched with his right hand- or paw if he wanted to have a bit more of a detachment from his regular side. He wasn't all that keen on the destruction of Paris property yet, but he wondered how easy it would be to complete his task with that magic.

His claws dig into the side of a nearby building after he jumped toward it, his new strength helping him climb up the vertical structure without breaking a sweat. "Defeat the opposition," he murmured as he landed on the roof of the building. The mission shouldn't be too difficult. He'd only have to find out what his opposition was and stop whatever evils they were planning. Not too bad, especially when he had these nifty powers.

Maybe his opponent had powers and a wish like he did. They'd probably have wrong intentions, though he wasn't all too sure. Plagg had been vague on the subject- and on everything else for that matter. Maybe he was too focused on having his wish granted he hadn't paid attention. That might have also been the case, he realized now.

Staying perched up there, he scanned the city in awe. Everything looked so pretty at night, from the stars and moon above to the Parisian lights below. He never would've believed in his wildest dreams that he'd see this kind of view. Adrien, finally away from his practically empty home, laughed heartily as he hopped from one rooftop to the next. A surge of adrenaline filled him and he bounded along on all fours, pointed black cat ears on his head listening intently for dubious plots to foil.

Was this what being a hero felt like? His chest bubbled up with excitement at the thought. The feeling of freedom was something he hadn't thought of wanting before, but here it was, in each leap away from home. He could get used to this.

The power of creation flowed along her fingertips, popping like bubbles as she watched in fascination. She didn't think she'd need it right now, so she decided to pass the time by getting a feel for the magic. It was so eagerly escaping her hand like it had a mind of its own. Powerful yet Marinette could sense a limit to it.

It shot out suddenly from its source and while she squeaked back in surprise, a broom appeared in her other hand, colorfully pale red. She remembered then what Tikki had said about her powers.

" _What you might need, but might not want._ Yeah, I definitely don't want this," she groaned, understanding immediately what her powers were implying as she looked around her room. She hadn't cleaned it up in a while, having told her mother she would do it at some point but never actually getting to it. "Guess I have time to do this now."

By the time she had most of her desk area reorganized and brushed up, she could hear activity downstairs. Dawn was quickly approaching when she checked the clock on her phone. "There," she decided, "That's done for now."

She set the broom down behind her mirror, unsure of how to make it disappear now that she was done with it. Even though she was a little less excited than she had originally been earlier, she could still sense the energy moving through her. Then she saw it. The noticeable difference on her cheek. She had seen those strange freckles on her face before on the only left and now they were only on the right.

Oh, if that wasn't a problem, Marinette wasn't sure what was. "That's not good," she whispered, absolutely positive that someone, namely Alya, would notice if suddenly she had weird spots on her skin that moved whenever they felt like it. She didn't even normally have freckles. What would Alya say then?

And Chloe would undoubtedly bring something up about them, that's for sure. Marinette was already fussing over excuses for this strange new phenomenon, but another thought struck her when she glanced over at the wall behind her desk.

Adrien... Would he notice? What would he say if he saw a birthmark speck shift from her chin to her eyebrow or something as drastic as that? He'd think she was a freak and never talk to her ever again. She was ready to faint at the thought. Falling back onto her chaise lounge in a slump, her motivation to head to school had disappeared. Maybe she could just meet with Alya like she promised then head back home saying she left something there. No, she'd still be bombarded with questions she wasn't able to answer yet.

There was a knock on the trapdoor entrance and she lifted her head up to call out, "Come in."

Her mother appeared, a bit surprised to find Marinette already out of bed and prepared to leave. Despite that, Sabrine could tell something was worrying her daughter, but watching her begrudgingly stand, kept the question she was close to asking to herself.

If this was how today was really going to start, Marinette decided she was no longer ready to greet Paris, or at the very least, not with the smile she had before. A thought in the back of her mind, the nagging reminder from Tikki, chimed back into existence, dragging her confidence even deeper down.

" _Don't let anyone find out._ "


	4. Chapter 4

If she needed a pencil, there it was, the same color as her broom and with nice black spots reminding her of her ladybug-looking companion from her dreams. A way to not let her friend notice the new freckles and spots on her face and arms? Boy, would she have loved to use her magic to fix that. Even Nino had added in that he'd never seen them before.

"They aren't a bad look, Marinette," he quickly added, hiding his nervousness behind a chuckle.

"Yeah, and maybe Adrien will like it. You never know. He might be into cute girls with freckles." Alya gave a knowing smirk, laughing when she saw her friend's intense blush form.

Regardless of their reassurances, Marinette still felt a little more self-conscious that morning. She still had no excuse as to why her spots would eventually start moving randomly either. No decent one anyway.

"Hey, are you alright? You seem pretty nervous all of a sudden." Alya's concern was well appreciated, but seeing as Marinette couldn't outright explain all her special new quirks, nodding back and stating that she was fine felt like the worst thing she could ever do.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on which way she thought it through, Adrien walked over to greet them. To her surprise, he looked positively animated and bouncy as he spoke to Nino, almost like she was this early morning.

She had half a mind to think- No, she couldn't see anyone else in her dream besides her and Tikki. It was impossible. Anyway, the fairy bug never mentioned anyone else but the evil and there was no way Adrien was a villain.

"So, did you guys hear the rumor?" Alya asked as they all walked up the steps to the school.

"What, about that weird monster on the rooftops this morning?" Nino scoffed, "Don't tell me you believe those are actually true." He rolled his eyes and tried his hardest to hide his laughter.

"Monster?" Marinette realized that both she and Adrien had said the same thing and she turned to him, only to meet his similarly surprised gaze.

"They're true though," Alya replied confidently. She had her phone out in seconds and pulled up her evidence from the local news site. Holding it out for the three of them, she gave her best smug grin as the video played. "See for yourself."

"Parisians have been all over social media sites, posting videos and pictures of what many are claiming to be a monster on the streets," explained the news reporter on the live broadcast, "We received multiple calls from this building just before 4 AM about mysterious noises." Gesturing to the wall behind them, the camera man moved closer to it. "There" —the reporter's hand appeared on screen, pointing to holes in the wall the camera zoomed in on— "you can see claw marks dug into the wall that lead all the way up to the roof; supposed evidence of the monster's activity. We're switching now to witness videos while we receive word from Mayor Bourgeois about the situation."

Suddenly the scene changed to someone's apartment, people in the blurry video whispering to one another to hush. When they all went silent, the faintest sound of thumping feet on the roof could be heard. One of the group gasped, only to receive a resounding warning to stay quiet from the rest of them. Quickly the video switched to another clip, which showed a shaking moon in the distance and some of the roofs visible outside the civilian's window. Suddenly a streak of black and thin green traveled along the sky, landing on a chimney and disappearing behind it.

Dozens more like it streamed through and Alya couldn't be more proud of herself. "It's been going on all morning. So many videos came up online that now it's a news hit. Proof enough for you?"

Nino huffed, though anyone could see the twinge of defeat mix with fear as he crossed his arms. He had no way of countering such evidence.

Adrien, all the while, was mentally freaking out. He hadn't given much thought to anyone hearing or seeing him out there. He assumed most Parisians were asleep at that hour. If so many photos and videos were making it on the news, showing his silhouette crying out happily and leaping from high buildings to lower ones, he must have woken up half the city before dawn.

So much for being a hero. He was already being called a monster by everyone before he could even make a name for himself. The momentary thought that maybe he shouldn't have been so reckless in his decision to use his powers immediately came to mind. If only he had thought of that earlier.

His opponent would likely use this mistake to their advantage.

"Did anyone get a clear description on what this monster looked like?" Marinette asked, apparently interested in his new 'monster' alter-ego. He could see a gleam of determination in her eyes, though he had no idea why she would want to go after him- or in this case, the monster.

"Besides looking like a weird, lanky shadow with acid green marks all over it, nobody can say for sure. No one could see the monster's face because it was still dark at the time," Alya explained as she scrolled through her phone. "Apparently, the mayor's already making plans to capture and get rid of it before it can do any major damage."

When they arrived at the classroom, Adrien slumped down in his seat in the front row, trying to figure out how to reveal to everyone that he wasn't a bad person or even a monster, for that matter. People already had a huge distrust in him, even Mayor Bourgeois. How was he ever going to be a hero when everyone was against him?

"Adrien," called the familiar voice of Chloe, who hugged him close in her greeting. "Do you think your dad can let you come with me to shop later? There's this cute outfit I saw on the way here that I really want you to see me wear. Sabrina will carry whatever we buy, of course." Her persistence in keeping his eyes on her irritated him momentarily, but he resigned to giving her the attention she craved.

"I don't know. I think I have a photo shoot to get to later," he answered, watching her sly smile droop slightly.

He wasn't lying about not knowing. After he'd returned from his all-over-the-news playtime, sneaking back in through one of the large windows in his room, Adrien had to pretend to be asleep before Nathalie came in. The trick was easier planned than executed, since he was still in thrill mode and giddy. His mind raced through thousands of thoughts in a minute while his father's assistant rambled on about his schedule.

Honestly, his not listening was starting to become a habit. He wasn't even paying attention to Chloe's upset remarks until he heard her call out Marinette.

"Of course you're interested in that beast. Maybe if you start dating it, you'll both turn into less hideous creatures." Chloe's mocking and insults made him flinch, seeing as she was referring to him as a disgusting beast, but it hurt a little more to see them directed at Marinette. Whatever vendetta Chloe shared with the designer always concerned him, especially when he considered both of them to be his friends. Chloe liked testing his faith in her good behavior at times like these though.

Was it possible that his powers had allowed him to hear the snap of wood so clearly in his ears or was the noise really as loud as it had sounded? He couldn't really tell, but whatever had clearly happened amused Chloe enough for her to laugh as she sat in her seat across the aisle. When he peered up at Marinette, she seemed to avoid his gaze in favor of continuing her conversation with Alya, though not before her friend made a comment.

"Um, are you gonna need another pencil? I have extra if you want one."

"Oh, no. It's fine." She grabbed her bag and rummaged through the front pocket, realizing a moment too late that that was indeed her last pencil. Just her luck. Out of curiosity, she opened the main pocket and searched between her notebooks.

Her eyes momentarily flickered to Alya, who seemed distracted by the news stream about the monster they were still watching together. With a small second to close her eyes and hope for the best, she felt the cool tingle of gentle energy at her fingertips. When she pulled out the magically produced object, she opened her eyes and smiled.

"There we are," she declared confidently, placing the pencil down in front of her and setting her zipped up backpack on the side of the table.

"Wow, nice design," Alya said with a small snicker. "Where'd you get it?"

Marinette gave a small pout and twirled the spotted pencil in her fingers. "I think it's Manon's. I found it in my room while cleaning up a bit and I guess I just put it in my bag." What's one nice, believable lie after another?

Very successful actually. "Lucky you did then. Wanna get back to the video?"

"Sure."

This monster caught her attention almost as much as it had Alya's. The interrupted conversation returned, the two girls tossing questions and possible theories back and forth. Was the creature after anything or anyone in particular? Where did it come from? Was there a person controlling it? Was the beast some kind of Jekyll and Hyde monster and there was a normal person under the mass of green and shadows? Why did it suddenly appear?

For Marinette, she had a secret theory. It could have been the evil Tikki referred to, looking for someone that she would inevitably have to save, like some kind of prophecy Tikki's kind predicted might happen. She briefly reconsidered the earlier thought of Adrien being the monster, but it passed as quickly as before.

She felt a nudge on her side and sprang back to reality. Turning her head, she saw Alya's eyebrows rise and her head tilt to motion toward him.

It almost slipped her mind. Her promise from yesterday afternoon. She gulped, wondering if going through with asking him out would work right before class started.

Her saving grace was their teacher walking in and starting the day's lesson. When she gave a final sheepish look at her friend, she received a you-got-lucky-again stare.

Honestly, the designer had nothing to worry about, the more she thought about it. Even if she never went through with her promise to Alya, her deal with the magical fairy in her dream was more than enough to assure her chance at dating Adrien.

"Yeah. That totally doesn't sound creepy," she whispered to herself after giving a nervous wave to Adrien as class ended. She had squandered her next best opportunity to ask him out then, frozen in fear when he looked up at her while putting away his notes. It was an innocent gaze, quickly returning to whatever he was doing and she hadn't moved a muscle until he was out the door.

"Amazing move there, girl. Loved the part where he said yes," Alya joked as they left the school together.

Marinette sighed, sparing a glance at the guy of her dreams as he slipped into the awaiting ride to another photo shoot. Why was she never confident when it came to him? She felt so reassured that she could investigate the whereabouts of some shadowy creature bouncing through Paris, but if Adrien so much as gave eye contact, she was a malfunctioning cyborg.

"It's not like you're any better," she retorted, sending a knowing smirk her friend's way.

"What are you talking about?" She could see Alya's denial coming a mile away.

"Don't act so innocent. You still have to fulfill your side of the promise and I know you totally have a crush on-"

"Hey, ladies, how's it going?" Nino interrupted, wrapping his arms around their shoulders and moving in between them.

"Nino," Marinette finished cheerily. She removed herself from his hold and smiled. "I'll leave you two to talk. I have something to do anyway." Giggling as she ran off, she covered her ears when she knew Alya would be screaming at her.

That escape could not have been any more perfect. As she made her way back home, she wondered how she was planning on luring the monster out of hiding. She had no way to contact Tikki to ask, so the next best thing to trust was her gut instinct.

Her gut told her there was some kind of connection between her new creation powers and this monster. She needed to figure out what it was before someone like the mayor did anything drastic.

After calling to her busy parents that she had returned from school, she hurried up the stairs to her room and snuck up to the rooftop balcony. She wasn't entirely sure what brought her up here, but her mind raced to figure out what her instinct was telling her.

Intuition struck her like a brick- or more specifically, a burst of magic that had her stumbling back in surprise. She watched bunches of red travel along her arms and legs and wrap around her torso. When the brightness faded away from her closed eyes, she opened them and looked down at her hands.

She flexed her fingers, watching the strange black and red material covering her move with her. In a flash, she bolted to her full-length mirror to see what her powers decided to create. She had to admit, it was a tad ridiculous. She looked like a big ladybug... superhero, mask and all.

This only furthered her gut feeling that she and the monster had something in common. Maybe, if it wasn't Adrien like she had previously considered that morning, the monster was actually someone else with a wish in mind and powers just like her. Everything fell into place then.

On her desk, her phone vibrated twice. She picked it up and saw exactly what she was hoping for.

Alya's recent message, in a barrage of others and a couple from Nino, read, " _It's on the rooftops again. Everyone's freaking out._ "


	5. Chapter 5

It was understandable why the monster held a fascination for hopping from rooftop to rooftop. The sensation felt like a thrilling flight all around the city. Marinette could see how it might have been addicting.

Looking like a strange acrobatic stream of red and black jumping through the air above everyone's heads certainly brought unwanted attention her way. If the monster was out in broad daylight without a care, then she wouldn't be as worried as her conscience was telling her to be. Her confidence peaked, she continued on her way, searching the streets for signs of activity.

The black and green monster wanted to meet her halfway apparently. She immediately noticed the blond hair as she almost collided with him. Her theory was right; there was someone like her and he quickly realized it too.

"So you're the monster everyone's been raving about? Not gonna lie, I thought you were a bit more menacing on TV. You just look like a guy in a suit." She wasn't sure if her confidence was taking things a bit too far, but it didn't seem to phase this... cat? Wait, were those actually cat ears and a tail? "Oh... Is that a cat suit?" This had to be a joke. Paris couldn't have been afraid of some big cat.

He hadn't responded to anything she said. He only crouched there on all fours. She watched as his ears subtly flattened against his head, his body leaned low to the roof, and his eyes widened into bright green saucers, pupils changing from the typical sharp cat look to hilariously round. He looked tense and ready to pounce, albeit a little goofy.

"Not a stickler for words, huh?" She commented, noticeably egging him on.

His tail stood up high and he hissed, "So you're the one I'm looking for."

"Ah, so you do speak. I was hoping the 'cat got your tongue' bit would've applied."

Her mocking tone grated on his nerves, but something in the back of his mind still told him not yet. Whatever he was waiting for, he was losing patience with it. He swung his tail around in the air, claws scratching against metal, his body itching to test out his strength.

"Well, what are you waiting for, cat boy? You look ready to fight me," she said, pulling something out from behind her.

"Is that a broom?" He questioned, close to laughing at how it matched her outfit in color.

"Yeah, made it myself. With magic, of course." She twirled it deftly between her fingers like a baton, tossing it up and standing it by her side once it landed back in her hand.

"I don't get if you're trying to fit the ladybug or evil witch aesthetic," he teased, grinning at her dumbfounded expression. She had confronted him, so he'd snap right back with a few words of his own.

Her eyes darted between her object of choice and him, likely trying to figure out how to reply. "Well" —she considered her words, taking a few steps forward— "I'm no evil witch, but I think a broom makes a much better cat swatter than a bug swatter in my opinion."

He had no clue what to make of that for a moment until suddenly she swung it at him. While Adrien dodged it, he was definitely caught by surprise. She had spunk; he'd give her that.

She also had magic, which meant she was like him and his opponent, by that logic. Was her magic to create things? If it was, it'd make perfect sense. It countered his ability to destroy, which would be interesting to test out on her so-called weapon.

His right paw surged with dark energy, intermingling drops of green and black swirling around it. As she swung again, he stood, held his hand out, and grabbed the broom.

Much to both of their surprise, the broom shattered into many small orbs of bright white and flew away. The power in his hand retreated into his paw, but he could tell it didn't have the same effect as her magic did.

"That happened," she stated, eyes wide as she stepped back and stared at her empty hands.

"Yes, it did," he replied, "And you know what happens now that you're defenseless?" He crouched right back into his previous position, instantly jumping onto her. He pinned her down with his brute strength, smirking triumphantly as she squeaked beneath him. "Wait, are you an insect or a mouse?"

"Neither, kitty. I'm a ladybug."

"Excuse me then, Miss Ladybug. You seem intent on attacking me."

She glared, almost as if she were trying to figure him out. "Says the one pinning me down, kitty cat. You _are_ the monster, after all."

"Call me Chat Noir, my lady. It'd be nice to hear my name from your lovely lips before you become the late-ybug."

His pun didn't seem to land lightly with her, for obvious reasons. He saw her bright blue eyes set with determination then and he was so enthralled by the glimmering shade, he didn't notice her plan until it was too late.

She easily lifted him up with her legs and tossed him to the side, rolling away right after. Adrien scrambled back up and watched her speed off across the rooftops.

"If it's a chase you want," he purred as he crawled into his predatory stance, "then I'm all for it."

Marinette could see civilians following them, amazed by the two magical beings in battle. In chase though, only half of them were eager to be an audience. Stopping for a moment to catch her breath, she saw Alya and Nino down there, watching her. She froze when her gaze made contact. Tikki's reminder returned; she had to keep quiet.

"Hey! Look out!"

Jumping toward the nearest lamp post, Ladybug flinched at the sound of the crash where she had previously stood. She tensed when she turned to see Chat shaking chimney debris off him. She had to think fast, holding her left hand out to release a bright light, one that thankfully threw him off for a second.

From the flash came... A grappling gun. That definitely fell in the 'might need' category. While Chat was busy blinking away temporary blindness, she fired the hook towards a farther away rooftop and swung away. She heard gasps from the crowd below and even a few cheers. The people seemed to trust her, which was a good sign.

Chat growled at the silhouette of his cowardly opponent. Of course she'd receive praise from others instead. He had to admit, she was brave and unpredictable at times, like any supposed hero would be. It made his task more challenging than he had predicted. At the same time though, he'd much rather she give up before he did something terrible to such a pretty face.

His body tensed. Did... He just call her pretty? Shaking his head much faster than before, he chalked the thought up to him hitting the bricks a bit too hard.

Carefully speeding toward the direction she had disappeared, Adrien wondered what Ladybug's plan was for him. She couldn't exactly defeat him with mere brooms and guns when he had destruction at his side. He could tell she had about as much physical strength as he did, so they were evenly matched on that front too. What would she do then? What was this villain's crafty little plot?

He found himself dragging a much larger crowd to the Eiffel Tower, finally finding the speckled witch patiently waiting for him near the top. Fortunately for him, he noticed, she was looking quite exhausted.

She must have been moving around for some time, trying to figure out where to lead him. Maybe she wouldn't be able to create another escape for herself. Once he destroyed her grappling gun, that smirk would go right with it.

"Nowhere to run now, my lady," he said when he reached her.

"No need to hide anymore, kitty," she replied, twirling the spotted gun on her index finger. The more he looked at it, the more silly and like a toy it seemed. He couldn't believe this ridiculous charade: a cat and a ladybug fighting on Paris' most famous landmark. Truly a sight to behold.

The civilians down below thought so, anyway. He even recognized two of his friends, Alya and Nino, though the former seemed rather intent on recording the whole spectacle. He was surprised Marinette wasn't with them; after all, the two girls were best friends.

He flinched and swatted away the grappling gun tossed his way, the force of the descent apparently enough to destroy it alone. They both watched light orbs float high into the sky before disappearing.

"Nice going," he commented with a smug snicker. "You left yourself defenseless again." He readied himself to pounce like last time, only to be stopped by the familiar wash of pink light.

"You're underestimating my power, Chat," she chimed confidently, only to frown at the item in her hands. Apparently displeased with the return of the infamous broom, she sighed and prepared a losing swing.

"Actually, I think I gave it too much credit." Again, he destroyed it before it could land a hit on him, laughing all the while. It amused him that her powers were just as unpredictable as she was. This only served to weaken her, at the cost of some of his own power. "Is that all you got?" He called out in his mirth.

Only by a small margin did he miss the object she pulled out of her hair and flicked his way. His destructive magic made quick work of it but not before he got a quick look at it.

"A pencil? Really?"

"Look, mock me all you want. It takes a bit for these things to form." True to her word, she already had her magic working on another possible distraction. He noticed as she did that she was catching her breath a lot easier.

She jumped from the tower before he could even see what her next object was. Her loud cry to the crowd was met with reassured amazement. Enough of them moved away from her landing spot that she had a moment to reassess her plan and watch an annoyed Chat try to figure a way down.

When their eyes met, she held her towel out in front of her, waving it around like a matador in a bullfight. She received the right reaction; his ears perking up like horns and a loud snarl escaping through his bared teeth. Her audience laughed with her, then parted for her to scurry off down an alley.

Sick and tired of this game of cat and bug, he sprang from the tall height, hoping with all hope that his cat side would let him live through this fall. He shivered at the light shock coursing through his legs and up his body as he landed, but sprinted off towards his prey as fast as he could afterward.

The people looked conflicted when they stared at him. They were all so trusting of Ladybug and whatever plan she had, they couldn't see that he was the hero they were supposed to follow. He wasn't a monster; he was trying to save them. If only he could tell them, explain himself and his mission to defeat Ladybug, then they'd encourage him, point out which direction she'd went. He'd save Paris from evil like he promised Plagg he would.

No, instead they worried for the safety of "precious, innocent Ladybug."

She put up a quality act; that was for sure. Maybe that's who she was under the black and red mask. An actress.

She certainly set up a decent stage on the fly.

"There were are, kitty," she cooed, still mockingly flourishing her spotted towel to her left. He found her down the dark alley, cornering herself as perfectly as he would have wanted her to be.

He cocked an eyebrow, wondering if she really thought he'd fall for it. She'd likely dodge out of the way and let him slam into the building behind her or reveal another object hidden behind the towel that would actually be able to stop him. He wouldn't put it past her to have a trash can open and ready for him to fall into just to trap him and maybe make an alley cat joke with. At the very least, _he_ could come up with a joke for that last one.

For some reason, he rather hoped she'd chosen the last idea. Maybe it was the pun. He was admittedly hoping for the pun and for her sense of humor to be much like his.

Charging up his destructive magic, he leaned forward and dug his right shoe into the ground like an angered bull. In the heat of the excitement, Chat sped towards her, bursting with upbeat energy.

So much had he been distracted by his own hubris that he failed to remember not hitting the wall behind her. Not only had he wasted his power destroying the towel, but his head hurt once more. He grunted as he removed his face from the wall, stumbling back until he reoriented himself with reality.

"Nice going," said Ladybug, echoing his comment from before. "You look a little tired."

Looking over his shoulder groggily, he felt his body ache with lingering exhaustion. Perhaps she was right and he'd ridden too much of the thrill. He saw a flash of light dim and her worried expression caught his eye.

"Huh. I guess this means I was wrong about you."

Her words took him by surprise as much as the long, slightly curved pole in her hands did. She held it forward, taking a couple steps back, then, just like he had, she ran towards him at breakneck speed.

Out of reflex, he held his right hand out, gathering up whatever power he had left for a final bit of destruction.

Suddenly, barely an inch in front of his shoe, she dug the end of the pole into the ground and shot herself up into the air. Vaulting right over him, she landed gracefully on the rooftops above him. She turned to him with a smile, giggling at his dumbfounded expression.

"Let's call this a truce for now, kitty cat. I hope we meet again soon." And just like that, she hopped away happily. The pole vanished into orbs just as she did.

Enemy or not, whoever that was, and he was determined now to know who, she was the love of his life.


	6. Chapter 6

So there it was. He was right. Oh, Gabriel was so delighted in knowing he was right.

They weren't myths anymore. These magical creatures, the tiny beings called kwami, were as real as day and night. Two were practically at his doorstep, their faces littered on the morning and afternoon news.

He scowled at the fact that whoever those two were, they had received their promises for wishes much sooner than he had. It wasn't fair for him. He was the one who had scrambled for years trying to find a solution to his heartache. He spent years looking for her, months of searching to bring her back and only now did his answer finally present itself.

But these two _children_ were given the power he craved, the certainty he had tried for so long to have.

Gabriel Agreste would not take kindly to such a loss.

He hadn't noticed he'd closed his eyes that night until they opened to a rather dreary looking room. It was all the same dull gray as a heavy cloud and he found himself sitting in a similarly colored metal chair. There were no chains around him or prison bars nearby to loom over his form.

"Congrats on keeping a low profile, you dummy." Plagg's greeting came before Adrien could see those green eyes, but Adrien couldn't have been happier to hear that snarky tone.

"Sorry. I guess I got a bit ahead of myself," he responded with an apologetic and hopeful smile. He wouldn't hide the fact that he was happy with his new powers. In fact, he was grateful that Plagg had chosen his wish to grant. He would make sure not to act so recklessly next time.

"Yeah, you did. I'll forgive you just as long as you don't do it again. You won't find your opponent if you hop around like an idiot starving for trouble." Finally, Plagg's tiny form appeared in the room, floating around him with something in those paws.

Adrien focused his gaze on it, trying to figure out what the cat was so eagerly holding so close and so fondly. He learned what it was through the smell alone. He groaned in displeasure and covered his nose from the disgusting stench. "Ugh. Is that... Camembert?"

The snickers he received were only paralleled by the mischievous gleam in that acid green gaze. "So it is, Adrien. Why? Do you have a problem with the love of my life?" The kitten rubbed a cheek against the cube of cheese adoringly.

"I certainly hope you rethink your life choices a bit. Gross," Adrien answered, coughing as the cat brought the cheese closer to his face. He tried ignoring it as best he could, turning his head away to keep that food as far away as possible. Letting his mind wander, he barely caught Plagg's words.

"I'll have you know I'm delivered three of these fine morsels once or twice a day by champions, in an offering to appease me, my power, and my hunger. Around here, I'm top cat and no one matches my magic. People practically worship the air around my paws." Humility was apparently not one of Plagg's finer qualities, but what was said interested Adrien when he remembered the rest of his misadventure.

"What about Ladybug?" He asked.

Plagg stilled, the cheese balanced carefully on a toe in an attempt to do a trick to gulp it down. "Who now?"

"Ladybug. She's the girl I met that had creation magic. You know, the exact opposite of your power?" Adrien had to wonder if Plagg even paid attention to that part of his day or if the gluttonous feline was too busy scarfing down on smelly camembert to notice.

Silence permeated the room as much as the stinky cheese smell did. What he'd said clearly threw the magic cat off. Enough to leave the poor thing speechless. Correction: almost speechless.

"No way! Tikki lied to me!" Plagg cried, angrily swallowing the food whole. "I knew it! I knew she was hiding something when she said she'd been busy. Busy? What else is there to do around here besides mess with champions and watch the living? Busy my left paw! I should've known! I trusted her too! Oh, I'll show her!"

Adrien flinched back when he was suddenly met with a vengeful stare.

"Find this Ladybug, Adrien. Make sure she knows you're not one to be messed with."

Well, that proved his theory right at least. "Actually," he began, "I kind of already did."

"Good. So I guess that's-"

"She kind of defeated me, technically. Ladybug said it was a truce but she's way too good to admit she won the fight."

Plagg was silent once more, small shoulders slumping and ears flat. Adrien could see the absolute embarrassment and defeat cross those wide eyes.

Marinette laughed as she followed her glowing companion down the endless hall. She knew their continuous walk would lead her nowhere, but she rather liked seeing the locked, fancy burgundy doors they passed by every once in a while, as well as the tall golden columns and open windows. She could see blues mixed with spirals of white outside, but never stopped to admire the rest if there was any more she could see.

She found it better off to wander and talk about her day. Tikki had apparently watched her fight with Chat Noir, having learned well and quick about Plagg's new decision to grant a wish.

"Don't worry about Plagg. He'll try something sneaky, I'm sure, but his plans always backfire, in the end. And if what you say is true, then Chat Noir shouldn't be a problem either," Tikki explained, giving Marinette a reassuring smile.

"I trust Chat. Though, I don't know if he trusts me, I can tell he's not the evil you warned me about."

Tikki hummed in reply, leading them down a left turn, even when it didn't matter which way they went.

This place was built for their kind, Marinette had learned. The kwami, as Tikki had put it, were small, immortal creatures with a magic humans both worshiped and feared. Known throughout many civilizations and treated like gods, in a sense, those like Tikki gave back to the humans by granting their wishes in return for special tasks. Those chosen were the kwami's champions, who would eventually return to this realm in the afterlife to do as they pleased.

Other kwami didn't mind the humans, almost craving the attention they gave. Plagg was apparently one of those types but switched whenever he was bored. Tikki would evidently create a champion to follow his, since they were equals and she had to keep track of him. Evidently, that made Ladybug and Chat Noir partners, though Plagg seemed to oppose by the looks of it.

"Plagg sounds like a troublemaker," Marinette commented.

"He can be when he wants to, but he means well. Living for so long gets to him. In the end, he just wants the attention."

She giggled at the image in her mind of Tikki comforting a black cat as small as the bug kwami. As silly as it seemed, it was sweet as well. "Just like any cat would."

"I suppose." Tikki slowed, turning to face Marinette suddenly. "This time though, I think he's onto something. Everyone around here can sense it. I bet you can see it too." Gaze landing on the floor, the glow flickered slightly.

The girl looked around the hall, trying to understand what the kwami meant by that. Then she remembered. "Is this about the evil you told me to look out for?" She asked after returning her gaze to the spotted creature.

Tikki nodded. "We can all sense this danger in the air. We know who it is and we know what they want, but no one knows what to do."

"Can't you refuse to grant their wish or something? If you _know_ who it is, then tell me and maybe Chat and I can stop them before they can get to you."

The tiny sprite flew close to her face. "It's inevitable that they come. We can't stop the future from happening. All we can do is wait and prepare. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you must promise me not to interfere with this problem until it presents itself. I can't- _We_ can't have you getting hurt before they come. This evil is trying to show up as a champion and you need to be there when the time arrives, not here with the rest of us."

"W-Wait. What are you saying?"

"Be careful, Marinette. Be careful and wake up."


	7. Chapter 7

The bright and early morning greeted the students today, the friend groups and classrooms a-buzz with details and rumors of Paris' two new magical beings. Everyone seemed to have something to say about the monster boy and mysterious ladybug.

How could they not, though? No one knew where they had come from and gone to. A crowd had practically circled the Eiffel Tower to catch a glimpse of part of the fight. Videos of the two where viral hits on websites they were posted to. Theories on them multiplied exponentially from early yesterday morning to today. No one knew what to clearly make of them and neither did the Mayor.

It was a relief to Adrien that Andre Bourgeois had called off the search for his alter ego. He wasn't sure how many more nasty comments he was willing to handle about the police capturing him and turning him into a zoo animal. It made him all the more nervous to prowl about as Chat Noir and present himself.

"I believe they are merely street performers that wanted to show off a few of their talents and gain some attention. That Ladybug was far too keen on moving around and making a performance of herself," Max theorized, cleaning the left lens of his glasses before placing them carefully on his face again.

Alya shook her head rapidly, not in the least bit deterred by his suggestion. She hopped from foot to foot, holding her phone close and tight as she anxiously waited.

"No way, Max. I've seen street performers. Those two were nothing like them," Kim replied, resting back in his seat with a far off look. He seemed to be coming up with his own explanation.

"Why can't you guys just accept that they're real life superheroes and villains? They were using magic. They were fighting each other with superpowers, something that normal civilians don't have." Alya emphasized her point by showing off the footage she got of Ladybug creating another broom. The video was paused when she received another text, right as Chat was about to use his destructive ability.

Nino peered over her shoulder. "Marinette just got out now, didn't she?" He questioned, even though he already knew the answer to that.

"Apparently," she mumbled as she typed in a reply, "That girl lives right next to the school and still somehow makes it here late."

"What's her excuse this time?"

Holding up two fingers, Alya listed off, "Two of them: Woke up late and a sprained ankle." She slumped back in defeat at the next message she'd received. "I swear, I don't know how she does it, but Marinette ceases to amaze me."

Adrien muffled out the rest of the discussion as he buried his head in his arms. He watched a trail of pale green glide along his skin, almost unnoticeable from a distance. He envied Marinette's ability to sleep in, since he always had Nathalie shaking him awake every morning and rambling on about his schedule before he could clear the sleep out of his eyes. This morning felt especially draining and he was still out of it from the fight yesterday.

Hanging around with Plagg made things a little better, though he could do with less of an earful for his loss against Ladybug.

"I'm so glad we actually have someone competent enough to take care of that annoying monster now. I mean, my daddy tried sending people after him, but they were all too chicken to try," Chloe added into the conversation as she and Sabrina walked in. Adrien had barely noticed that the pair were close to being late as well. He kept his mouth shut as she sat in her seat and waved at him

He wasn't particularly in the mood to even be awake right now. Thankfully he had time to relax later, unlike yesterday, when he had slipped away immediately after the photo shoot to become Chat. He could become Chat right after classes and see if that would attract his Ladybug's attention enough to lure her out again.

Clearly, she and this "Tikki" person were significant to Plagg. He had no idea what the connection was yet, but he hoped to ask Ladybug later on.

The classroom door flew open and in stumbled Marinette, falling flat on her face with a few papers flying out with the textbook in her hands. She yelped in shock and pain, receiving a few howls of laughter from Chloe upfront. As she lifted her head up, she growled at her rival before her view was blocked by a pair of legs.

She looked up and gasped as he helped her up off the floor. Hiding a wince from the protesting pain of her left ankle, she blushed heavily as Adrien Agreste picked up the papers off the floor for her. She was close to falling over again over how faint she suddenly felt. As he handed over her unfinished homework and textbook, he gave her the smile she recognized from all the cut outs of magazines.

"Need help getting to your seat?" He asked, keeping his arm extended for her to hold onto.

Oh, it was like a dream come true. Like she was a princess being escorted to a ball by him, the beautiful prince charming, and they would eventually dance and he'd propose and they'd get married and she would live out her happiest days thinking back on today as just a simple dream. She was assured that dream would be a reality. She had no worries except for what style of dress she'd wear to the wedding.

Marinette sighed and rested her head in her hands.

Alya waved her hand in front of her friend's face, snickering at the whimsical look in those blue eyes. She knew Marinette was imaginative but this was a little ridiculous.

"Hey Alya, can you come here?" Alix called, motioning for the blogger to rejoin the conversation.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"There were a couple of kids outside talking about those weird claw marks the monster made yesterday. Have any idea what's up with them?" Kim explained, knowing Alya had a lot of information on the subject of the hero and monster.

The girl could barely contain herself as he spoke, remembering the topic had come up on one of the websites she had begun frequenting in search of information on the two masked magicians. "Oh, I actually have the perfect theory for that. See, since Ladybug has the power to create things while the monster destroys, the idea is that when their powers collide like they did with her broom- You know, turning into shiny white orbs and all- they float around until they find something the monster broke and then fix it, which it must have done to the holes on the side of the building."

Marinette snapped out of her daze, her attention piqued by the conversation and after hearing such a strange and almost plausible explanation of her and Chat Noir's powers combining to fix his mess, a job she had forgotten both during and after the fight, served to further prove that Chat wasn't really a problem like everyone made him out to be. She briefly wondered what his intentions were, the deal he'd made with his kwami, Plagg, and what wish he wanted to be granted so badly that he'd attack someone like her without much explanation.

Maybe she could ask later if he was prowling about again.

It actually made Marinette a little happy to see her friend in such high spirits over her superhero identity. She hadn't expected to be regarded this highly, having imagined everyone as upset of her new presence as much as they had Chat's. She was especially happy that Alya enjoyed discussing Ladybug, "an actual, real life superhero, guys!"

There was a twinge of fear, however, that if Alya ever learned that her best friend was actually Ladybug, she'd be upset that Marinette didn't tell her. Would Alya accept the fact that Ladybug had sworn to her dream fairy kwami that she wouldn't and couldn't tell anyone? She'd probably be upset and betrayed for not knowing that little secret. If their roles were switched, Marinette knew she'd be mad, though she wasn't so sure the blogger would understand as much as the designer hypothetically would.

This was definitely going to be complicated.

"Nice to see you back on Earth," Alya said as she sat down in her usual seat.

"Sorry. I just..."

"I know. _Your_ local hero saved you."

Marinette giggled, hiding her blush behind her hands. She hoped Adrien wouldn't be paying attention to their conversation.

"So," Alya drawled, "how _did_ you sprain your ankle?"

Having already concocted a decent explanation, because she obviously couldn't tell Alya that it was actually _burns_ she'd found on her ankle after her fight with Chat Noir, she smiled nervously. "I... Tripped up the stairs to my room, believe it or not."

Alya gave a soft chuckle. "Ah, a feat accomplished only by the most professional of klutzes. Congrats, Mari."

Playfully shoving the other girl away, Marinette then busied herself by getting out her notebook and a new pencil, having tossed the ladybug one at her destructive cat partner and only remembering to grab an actual one this morning.

She flinched when she felt a finger poke at her neck. Looking over, she saw Alya curiously observing her, bringing her hand away.

"Since when did you have a birthmark on your neck there? I've never seen it before," her rather observant friend noted, raising an eyebrow for the awaiting explanation.

Wait, wasn't that birthmark spot on her shoulder this morning? Marinette could have sworn it was moving along her back, not up to her face. Oh, this was trouble. She still had no way of explaining the moving spots. _How_ was she going to explain them? Maybe she should've mentioned the issue to Tikki last night, at least to have an answer as to why she suddenly had all these freckles and why they seemed so adamant on moving all the time.

"Uh... Oh, that? I must have... uh... Scraped my neck when I fell up the stairs too. Might just be a couple scabs. Nothing to worry about." Now that was a very unrehearsed and obvious lie. These were starting to become a habit for her.

If Alya did notice and see through the lie, she didn't say anything about it. She did appear worried, however. They were friends. Marinette wouldn't lie and hide something important from her, would she?

She would. She did. She was doing it right now and, boy, did Marinette feel awful for doing so.


	8. Chapter 8

Karma was fast. Karma liked to pour salt on wounds. Karma really was not fun to deal with when already injured.

Maybe all her luck had been dissected entirely to Ladybug, she figured after the whole incident passed. That's getting ahead of the story.

Marinette learned she was not at all good at keeping promises that afternoon. Having been so fixated on having her wish, Alya had to remind her that on her own she should at least try to ask Adrien out. Needless to say, she never had the opportunity.

The model had said his goodbyes to them and, like an eager puppy with the promise of a walk, he was gone and out of the school in a minute. His ride abandoned as well, the trio of forgotten friends wondered what lead Adrien to such a random and sudden disappearance.

Alya laughed out of nowhere, breaking the tense silence. "What if Adrien was the monster guy? Wouldn't that be crazy?" Her mirth was met with questioning silence. Nino almost seemed to believe it.

Marinette paled at the thought. The love of her life being Chat Noir? No way. She would never in a million years believe such a horrible thought. Adrien was a gentleman, not a fighter. She knew he had a rough time with his father but that was why she had made her wish. Of all the people she loved and trusted, Adrien was the only one he'd ever seen so consistently upset about something.

"Hey, think you'll be fine with your ankle?" Nino asked.

She'd barely taken notice of her walking speed or Nino's concern. Her mind had been successfully driven towards thoughts of Adrien. If he was Chat Noir, which she completely doubted to be true, what would his wish be then? To stop being told what to do as often? To not have a hugely packed schedule and photo shoots almost every day? For his father to treat him like an actual father would his son?

Was it possible she could ask Tikki what Adrien's wish was? The kwami had mentioned picking humans based on their wishes. Maybe she had learned of his during the choosing process. There had to be something like that, right? Marinette never heard mention of how specifically the choosing of a champion worked.

"Marinette, wait! Look out!"

The world flashed dozens of colors, a loud screeching piercing her ears. The high pitched sound of silence overtook her. She blinked and suddenly everything was a blurry white. She tried calling out, but her voice was lost.

Her chest hurt. She could barely move. What was going on? Her eyes felt closed and yet she could see everything as clear as... Not necessarily day. Maybe a foggy afternoon? It was so bright but out of focus and she had no idea which way was up or down.

Sobbing. Faint but very there sobbing. Why was there someone crying? Did something happen? Did something happen to her specifically? She couldn't tell, but she felt so guilty and responsible for the sadness.

The familiar pain of her right ankle returned. Wait, that wasn't right. Hadn't she hurt the left one while barely missing the destroying energies of Chat Noir's magic? Chat Noir had thankfully hit her towel instead. That's right. Why was her right _everything_ hurting so much?

Finally, after what felt like a minute or two, Marinette coughed and opened her eyes. Sitting up, the world around her finally stopped spinning. Oddly enough, she felt so much better now. Whatever searing pain she had previously felt vanished the instant she woke up. Her mind was racing to figure out what had happened but as she looked around, she noticed a small amount of people scrambling to fix something. What, she wasn't sure of, but she was just happy to be out of whatever that was.

"Marinette!"

Arms wrapped around her and she was surrounded by her classmates. She could feel Alya's death hold of a hug tighten and her tears soak into Marinette's sleeve. "Thank goodness you're okay. When he said you weren't breathing, I got so scared that I'd lose you."

Lose her? What? "What are you all talking about?"

"It was horrible," Mylene cried, burying her face in Ivan's arm.

"You didn't even scream or anything," added Juleka.

"You practically flew down the block, Marinette," explained Nino, pointing out the car and driver parked near the front entrance of the school.

"We all saw you and the car and- and-" Rose covered her mouth, holding back fresh tears and a choked sob with a whine.

"Are you alright now?" Nathanael questioned.

Max cleared his throat and, after a shaky breath, spoke, "Marinette, you... _Flew_ , as some of us lightly put it, over that man's car and... About 3 meters away? Give or take. Another car almost ran you over as well but the officer over there was able to stop it before-"

"Before you were super gross roadkill," Kim interjected, sticking out his tongue in disgust.

"A gore-fest in front of the whole school," Alix added with a similar expression and a fake gag.

"You were presumed dead after five minutes but... It seems you're fine, miraculously enough." Max's tone held disbelief, but he seemed to subtly relax, much like everyone else.

The designer was still, taking a moment to process the information. She died? Like actually, legitimately ceased to live? Then how was she okay now?

 _"You have as many lives as you do spots."_

 _"You need to be there when the time comes."_

Tikki actually meant that. Marinette thought it had been some metaphorical chosen one details that didn't mean much. Did she really have the ability to be resurrected after death?

"You're okay now," Alya whispered, holding on tighter, like letting go would mean her friend would disappear.

That was another lie. What she said. Marinette was not okay now. Marinette was anything but okay now. Marinette had as many lives as she had spots on what? Her body? Her superhero suit? Both? Was it good or bad that, either way, that was a lot of lives? That was _a lot of possible deaths_.

It had only been a couple minutes later and Marinette still couldn't shake everyone's terrified looks her way out of her mind. She'd found a short smear of blood on the street that had no source on her body to account for, thanked the officer for helping, apologized to the driver for not paying attention before ignorantly crossing the road, and told Alya a thousand times that she felt fine but none of it seemed to help the dread that had set in the pit of her stomach.

What was she going to tell her parents? Did they even know? They must have; the road was right in front of the bakery. They practically had a view of the whole spectacle in action.

"Mom? Dad?" She called as she opened the front door.

Immediately, she was showered with questions and tears and "thank goodness you're okay" and all kinds of worried phrases like it. For a moment, she was grateful for the short, minor scolding her father gave her for having forgotten to look before crossing the street. It almost made her reality a little less terrifying.

The feeling didn't last long.

When her parents let her go, she made her way to her room and sat at her desk, shock returning tenfold now that she was alone with her thoughts.

That moment, when she was suddenly gone from Earth and somewhere beyond, felt so intense in her mind than she had remembered. Now that she actually knew what all that mess she experienced had actually been, she shuddered at the mere thought that with each spot, whether on her body or on that suit, another moment like that one awaited.

Was Chat Noir the same way? Did he have some sort of indicator for how many lives he had left? Or was he really tied to only... Nine lives?

"Wait. Chat Noir!" She scrambled up to her balcony, renewed energy from her revival giving her the boost she needed to transform as she ran and jump to the next rooftop.

She had to know if he was okay. She had to tell him what she'd learned, at least to ensure he didn't do anything else reckless. What if the evil learned of this trick and used it against them? She couldn't bear to see Chat feel the same experience she had. She could barely stomach it herself. She had to warn him to be careful and not look for trouble.

Chat let out an "oof" as her body collided with his, his hands barely catching her frantically moving arms. To him, she seemed too eager and excited about something. It reminded him vaguely of someone; the same feel of tense muscles, the same deer-in-headlights expression, the same gasp, and yet he couldn't place a name on who he was thinking of. He had heard her cry out his name, "Chat Noir! Chat Noir," from buildings away and people had apparently taken notice. Was she doing that on purpose? Was there some kind of danger?

"Hello, my lady," he greeted, his tail swaying happily behind him. Despite his questions, he couldn't help staring into those blue eyes and feeling much safer.

"Chat, I should be dead."

Her words made his heart skip. "Wh-What? Y-You mean that metaphorically, right? Y-You're not actually saying you..." When he saw her nervous yet unwavering gaze, her panting slow, and her shoulders slump, then the nod of confirmation, his breath hitched and he let go of her arms. "You're not kidding?"

"I-I can explain. That's kind of why I came looking for you. I... I died, for a few minutes... And then I came back to life and I don't know how but it was something my kwami mentioned and I was wondering if yours told you or you knew anything about it too." She was rubbing her right arm as she spoke, almost subconsciously signifying pain.

For a moment, he wondered how something as insane sounding as that could have happened to someone like Ladybug but he remembered the circumstances they were in, what Plagg had told him.

"Wait, what's a kwami?" He asked, realizing he was missing a few details in this situation.

"The magical creature in your dreams? Plaque, was it? Tikki mentioned his name." Her body seemed unknowingly focused on her right side, the more he watched her anxiously scratch her head. Maybe he was only noticing out of fear for her safety.

"Plagg," he corrected with a weak chuckle. "I think he mentioned it. I kind of... Zoned out while he was talking. Wishes and all." Very subtly, he held his hand out, moving close to take her right hand in his. It was more for comfort than anything. "Are you okay, though? You did d-die, after all." It was strange to think and horrible to say but, according to her, it was the truth.

She looked down at his fingers intertwined with hers, his thumb soothing the back of her hand, and sighed. "I guess. I mean, I feel better than before. My ankle doesn't hurt at all and I don't feel as tired as I normally do from running this much."

Chat kept the question about her ankle in the back of his mind and leaned close to her with a wide grin and twitch of his cat ears. "I'm always here if you need a cat to cry on."

"Thanks, Chat." She smiled, glad that he returned the same trust she had in him.

"No problem. I mean, if it were me, I'd be happy to know that Paris' favorite superhero is there for me whenever something's bugging me."

Ladybug tried her best to hold back a laugh but a few snickers did make their way through. "You did not just say that. Tell me you didn't just make a bug pun."

"I'd gladly make a thousand more if you'd like, bugaboo." He pulled her in close and nestled his face in her hair. Her giggles were like music to his ears and she felt so lovely and warm. Maybe it was the cat instincts but he honestly didn't mind.

"And I'd be much happier if you didn't."

"I'll try gnat to make as many then," he replied.

"For some reason, I don't think you can last more than a second." Her sarcastic tone relaxed him ever so slightly. He felt her arms wrap around his stomach, her body a bit restless in his hold. "Chaton, can you promise me something?"

He knew what was coming. It was almost as if she knew he was hoping to move away from the previous subject that made her want to bring it up again. "Anything for you, my lady."

"Be careful. I know people don't trust you like I do. They're scared of you. People keep saying a lot of bad things about you. But please don't go looking for trouble."

His ears caught a small choked sob and he frowned. "There, there," he murmured, "I promise."

"Thank you."

Unable to let go just yet, Adrien let his curious eyes wander along the rooftops and watch the unsuspecting citizens below. He kept close, soothing Ladybug with a gentle hand on her back.

This was natural; somewhat, if you didn't count the coming back from the dead part. He knew it was fear. He'd felt the same way some time ago when his mother had disappeared and his father distanced himself. Adrien had irrationally believed that his father would go and he'd be left alone with no parents. While he tried to admit to himself his father wouldn't do that, something in the back of his mind always kept the thought around.

He wasn't calling himself an expert- far from it- but he knew that was why she was crying. She was afraid. He felt a finger follow the glowing green seems on his chest, shivering a bit at the sensation. Her soft giggle eased the tension around them.

"Y-You know," he stammered, "you wouldn't be the first one to tell me that. To stay out of trouble. Plagg had to remind me last night." Even though he'd spoken without thinking, he was thankful that the fact hadn't made her upset again. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better..."

When he didn't finish his sentence, Ladybug peered up to see his face. Her eyes widened when she saw the careful adoration in his stare. Where did that come from? She hummed for him to continue.

"I think you'd be happy to know that I want to keep as many of my nine lives as possible, just so I can use each one to see you smile again."


	9. Chapter 9

Why? Why him? Why, of all the possible choices for this, did it have to be him?

Nooroo shivered, not at all used to the human world's cool air. His glow faltered ever so slightly and he squeaked when dozens of white butterflies around him responded by whirling about. Of course, they were attracted to his power. This species of bug always was.

What little Nooroo didn't enjoy was the fact that he had been dragged out of his realm to prove it.

Who did this... Man think he was? This Gabriel, who seemed so ignorant to what kwami really were. Nooroo wasn't an idiot. He knew the intentions of his captor were anything but pure, unlike the champions they'd all been so well acquianted with back home.

Nooroo's chosen were heroes. They were kind, gentle, and often times leaders in their own right. While it was true that with enough practice any chosen could enhance their magic in personal ways, his chosen always fascinated him with their adapting natural talents of heading armies, showing strength through words, and bringing victories worthy of the title of champion. That's what made Nooroo proud to give magic to humans who seemed weak but could grow with the opportunity. They surprised him.

Gabriel Agreste didn't surprise him. The man reeked of evil, a darkness in his soul that struck fear. Nooroo could tell that without prior knowledge of the man's coming- or rather, the kwami's capture- the Tikki's chosen hero would have had no chance of survival. The girl was the only one that could stop this mess, with Plagg's hero not far behind.

The only possibly redeeming quality Nooroo had learned of Gabriel was his wish. "To bring back my wife," was all the man asked for, all the detail he would give, and all the kwami needed to know. He was curious to know why the woman left, though he wondered if had something to do with the malicious intent lurking within that cold exterior. No, her disappearance might have been what triggered it.

The theory gave Nooroo a plan.

"Have you finished deciding the deal?" asked Gabriel, walking into the room quietly. His face was stern and business-like. That was all the kwami's bargain was, an insignificant trade for unimaginable power.

Nooroo watched the butterflies float around helplessly. They would be the vessels, he knew. They would harbor magic and send it off to unsuspecting people, as opposed to people who knew and trusted a champion. "I suppose."

"Good gracious, boy! Can't you do anything right?"

Trays clattered onto the kitchen floor. The waiter nervously bent down to pick up the mess of unclean serving trays, their surfaces lined with oils, pieces of lettuce leaves stuck on by salad dressing, and other sauces he'd come into contact with time and time again.

The head chef was yelling at him, scolding him for messing up one of the orders, during the slowdown of customers. The young man had been picking up used dishes from finished tables and bringing them in to clean when the chef barged through screaming his name.

Fortunately for the lad, he had already set the dishes in the sink when he'd dropped the metal trays. It would have been much worse for him if any expensive plates or soup bowls had shattered from the fall.

"My apologies, sir! I-I'll make sure to remember the customer's order next time! P-Promise!"

"Promises, promises! You've made them all before and still you keep screwing up! I should fire you right here, right now for all the messes you've made! But I'll give you one more chance, boy! This time, don't forget the stupid order or your out of a job!" The veins on the older man's forehead were prominent and his face was beet red with rage.

The waiter nodded, knees wobbling as the chef growled one last time and left the room. Fear gripped him, but he still fell to the floor, ignored by coworkers who honestly wanted no part in the crossfire. The head chef was a terrifying man and wouldn't accept multiple failures lightly.

He trembled on the red tiles, holding his head and repeating to himself in whispers over and over, "You can't screw up. You have to remember. Stop forgetting, you idiot. You need this, please. I can't..."

 _Can't what? Hm? Handle the pressure? Remember your customer's orders? Stand your boss' demands when he doesn't understand you?_

A gasp escaped his lips, eyes wide as he felt the soothing whisper in his mind. He paled slightly. "Who-?"

 _Am I? Well, I'm Hawkmoth. I'm here to help you. This head chef likes barking orders, doesn't he?_

"Y-Yes."

 _Has he ever taken any from anyone else? Has he ever cared to hear your pleas? Has he ever stopped to consider that a loyal worker might not have the best memory on which order goes to which table?_

"N... No. He hasn't."

 _Then show him. Show him what it's like to be on the receiving end. Tell him what to do for once, Order Up._

"Yes, Hawkmoth."

"No, Chat. I promise I'm fine."

Why did she have to go and mention the burn? Why did he have to remember her mentioning the burn? It was gone now, as far as she could tell from the loss of pain. It was nice to be able to walk without flinching. She regretted telling Chat about it.

"It's my fault you got it in the first place. If I hadn't been so stupid-"

"Quit blaming yourself, chaton. You didn't know any better and neither did I. Besides, I'm okay now," she reassured him as they hopped around Paris' rooftops. Everything was fine . Ladybug sensed the tension over the so-called 'monster' situation dissipating the more they traversed the city, as well as the whole resurrection issue from a few hours ago.

When dusk had finally settled in, so had the two heroes into their strange new partnership. Marinette didn't realize how much she had to explain to Chat until they had situated themselves on one of the rooftops near the Louvre. Apparently, Plagg didn't give a lot of details on his destruction magic.

"You know," Chat mentioned then, "Destruction magic sounds kind of lame."

"Then what would you rather call it?" Ladybug asked almost jokingly. She hadn't been expecting an answer.

"How does Cataclysm sound? Too on the nose?" He gave her a mischievous smile, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes as well.

She rolled her eyes but didn't hide her smile. "You're just full of puns, aren't you?"

"To the brim. Ears to tail," he guaranteed, twitching his ears and wagging his tail as he did. "But seriously, though, yes or no? I kinda like the idea now that I think about it more."

"As much as the pun hurts, I'm not gonna lie. It's fitting."

"Purr-fect then. What about you? Creation magic sounds like a mouthful too." He watched her tilt her head, tapping a finger to her bottom lip in thought. "Ladybugs are lucky, aren't they? How about something with luck?" He suggested, his left ear following her rhythm of thinking.

"Hm, luck, eh? Not a bad idea. Maybe... Lucky Charm?"

She seemed to be waiting for his confirmation and he let the name sit on his tongue, repeating it a few times until they were both making silly imitations of each other saying it. After a bit of laughing, he decided, "I think it's a great name. I mean, if you count a broom as a lucky charm, then that's fine by me."

"Let's see if I can bring it back, then we'll know if it works in getting rid of certain bad luck cats." She was about to summon her magic when screaming pierced the calm Paris had settled into. They both turned their heads towards the direction the sound came from. It didn't sound too far away from where they were.

"What was that?"

"I don't know but we better go find out."


	10. Chapter 10

People scattered along the streets, shouting for help or warning others to "get away, there's a madman in there!"

From this, Ladybug could tell this restaurant was the place. Police were heading inside in pairs or groups of three, only to be thrown right back out with a few scratches and bruises. As the heroes landed by the entrance, one of the officers tumbled past them, flopping with a groan onto the pavement.

"Me-ouch."

"Chat," she warned, glaring at him and his apologetic grin. This was definitely no time for jokes.

Looking through one of the glass windows, she gasped at the sight of a chef dragging his own body against the unclean floor. There, standing on one of the tables, pride bursting through his smirk, was an insane looking man in a bright purple waiter's uniform. He cruelly threw a few wet wash towels on the chef's back, somehow making one of them float above the hat and twist until his victim's head was soaked.

Was this the evil Tikki mentioned? No, from what Marinette had recently concluded, such a task would not be as easy as she had originally considered. The villain's behavior was terrible, but not the pure evil the kwami had alluded to. Honestly, Chat seemed like a worse opponent than this guy.

Determined, however, to understand just what was going on, Ladybug motioned for her partner to follow her.

"Don't you think you're a little unarmed to go in?" Chat questioned as they stood by the entrance door.

She peered over her shoulder, saw his worried expression, and sighed, knowing he was right. Her Lucky Charm was one step ahead of them and in her left hand was its helpful choice in weaponry. "A fork. Charming..."

"And I thought you said no jokes." Chat snickered at her displeased glare in response before they made their way in.

The villainous man laughed as the two entered, holding a glowing hand up and shouting, "Finally, you two have made it. Your reservation to die in this fine establishment will be catered to in a moment."

Chat flicked an ear to the side, clearly confused. "Don't you mean dine?"

"According to the record I have here," —a soggy book floated towards the waiter, open to a random page that he seemed to be reading through— "your reservation is to _die_!" At his call, dozens of plates shot up from the various tables and flew towards them.

The duo quickly ducked under one of the tables, watching as dishes shattered into pieces and shards on the marble floor.

"Any bright ideas?"

Ladybug stared at the fork in her hand before she shook her head. She gave herself a moment to wonder what the fates her magic was guided on were thinking. Clearly, a red fork wasn't any more helpful than a silver one. This couldn't have been all for a joke, right? There had to be something this thing was useful for.

"Uh... Ladybug?" Chat shook her shoulder to grab her attention again.

She yelped when the table they were under was lifted and thrown away by the chef, whose eyes were as purple as the magic their villain was using. Thankfully she needn't tell her companion what to do next, both of them splitting and scrambling in opposite directions to move as far away from the brute as possible.

"Oh, come now! Is that all you two are good for? Running about and making more of a mess for my servant to clean up? How unsatisfying," the waiter mocked, amused by his opponents' retreat.

Chat found it rather difficult to keep his balance on the wet floor, slipping and sliding along until he reached another table and hopped onto it. Fearful green eyes searched for his lady under the nearby tables. Where did she go? Did she have a new plan?

He saw a flash of pink by one of the booths, barely obscured by a dividing wall. He was about to ask about the last Lucky Charm until she sprung out and whacked the chef away with a red mop. The mind controlled man crashed into one of the center tables, knocked out by the impact.

"You useless oaf!" The villain screeched, stamping his foot down on the booth table repeatedly. "Honestly, if you can't even clear up a spill with your dopey face, what good are you?" He growled and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, time to wipe the floor with you instead, tough guy," Chat declared, bounding from one tabletop to the next, closer and closer.

Ladybug groaned in annoyance, but had the same idea, carefully moving towards psychic to end the fight. "Who are you, anyway?" She asked.

The waiter gave a short whine, backing up against the wall when the realization that he'd clearly underestimated the heroes finally hit him. "Me? _I_ am Order Up! I control this restaurant now! That incompetent chef had enough fun bossing me around! Now, thanks to Hawkmoth, I'm the one in charge!"

"Hawkmoth?" Both heroes said, momentarily looking to each other after. There was a small, fleeting second of familiarity before they turned their attentions back to Order Up. That was weird.

"Yes, Hawkmoth. He granted me these powers in return for the permanent demise of you two. That's what I'll deliver to the table!" Suddenly, he held his hands up high and the door to the kitchen burst open with forks and knives aimed for the duo.

"Chat! Catch!"

He made a wild grab for whatever Ladybug threw his way, surprised to find a thick, red bamboo pole in his hands. In his peripheral, he saw Ladybug swing the mop stick, twirling it around like she had done with the broom. He copied her and was amazed to find their shielding away was working.

With each hit against their weapons, the forks snapped hard against the floor and the knives fell at bent angles. The magic in them immediately faded on impact. The rare one or two utensils that reached their targets left a few cuts and scrapes, but the result was clear as their numbers ceased.

Ladybug turned to Order Up, only to find he wasn't on the table anymore. "Where'd he-"

"Look out!" Chat yelled and forced her to duck with him. Another dining table was suddenly flying through the air, this time by magic.

The villain growled and made another table speed towards them.

From the quick decision, Chat prepared his Cataclysm and held his paw out to intercept it.

"Wait, don't," Ladybug called, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the way at the last second.

"Well then, what do you suppose we should do?" He hissed, gripping the bamboo pole tight in both hands until he instantly realized his mistake. The pole disappeared and white orbs zoomed around the messy floor, gathering forks and plates and fixing them.

"Not that, obviously." She sighed and looked to Order Up, who was stalking towards the still unconscious chef. She noticed the villain's uneasy steps and her face lit up with a plan.

"You got something," Chat crooned, eager to learn what his part in the grand scheme would be.

"Just keep him distracted for me, kitty, and, whatever you do, keep off the wet floor," she explained to him, sprinting past the evil waiter and into the kitchen.

"Don't have to tell me that," he mumbled as she disappeared, crouching down to all fours and zipping towards Order Up. He launched himself at the chef, landing on the knocked-over table and in front of the purple perpetrator. "I don't think so."

Order Up stumbled away, catching his footing on a repaired plate and grinning when he noticed it. Summoning his psychic power, he levitated the renewed forks, knives, and plates once more and aimed them right at Chat.

All the black cat had to do was keep the villain distracted. What better way than to run around until every fork and knife were jammed onto walls and plates were broken against every other surface? No other he could think of. Speed was key in this and Chat was thankful for having a special boost thanks to his magic.

He panted and collapsed against a dining chair, wiping some sweat from his forehead. This wasn't the same exhaustion from using his power. This was adrenaline finally wearing into his normal body. He eyed the peeved psychic, who tried to magically pry a few embedded utensils out of the wall. Unable to contain it, Chat Noir laughed at the frustrated violet villain, seeing the twisted scowl as absolutely hilarious.

"What's so funny, you mangy cat?" Order Up roared, stomping his shoe against the dry floor.

"My name is Chat Noir, thank you, and to answer your question, your face is. Maybe you should try tossing something that isn't tables and tableware," the hero suggested, holding his stomach to contain his hysterics.

The waiter glared and bared his teeth in a quiet growl.

 _What are you doing, you fool? Don't just stand there! Kill him! Use a shard to stab him or something!_

At the demand, Order Up searched the floor for a suitable weapon. His eyes widened when he found a perfectly unused, unbroken red fork. A purple eyebrow rising for a second, he shrugged and tried levitating it. When he found it didn't follow, he resigned to doing things manually and ran towards the smirking hero.

Chat lifted his shoes up onto his seat as a wash of suds and water flowed onto the marble floor beneath them. His amusement returned when Order Up slid and fumbled, losing traction against the slipperiness and falling gracelessly to the wet floor.

The villain groaned, the landing close to knocking him out. His head hurt terribly and that grating laughter helped little in making him feel better. He blinked when a shadow appeared, a halo of light from the lamps adorning the restaurant surrounding the silhouette.

"That takes care of that mess," Ladybug declared, holding a spotted and red bucket at her side and a victorious smile on her face. She peered up at her partner, sharing a few giggles with him. Looking around the place, her smile disappeared and with a reluctant sigh, she picked up the mop stick and reattached it to its head. "Now to clean up the bigger one."

 _Don't let them take the tie! Get up! Move! Finish this! Do something!_

"Th-The tie," mumbled the waiter, squirming in pain.

Hearing this, the two heroes observed him, confused as to what he was talking about. Chat took a rather cautious step towards the defeated man and pulled at the black tie.

"L-Let go! No!" Order Up shouted, yanking back his accessory with a wild fear in his eyes.

The tug-of-war lasted for a solid two minutes until the fabric finally tore in two. Chat stumbled back, eyes wide as dark energy flowed between both pieces. He was ready to let it drop when a strange little black butterfly fluttered out and made its way toward the exit.

Despite the shock, Ladybug made a quick grab for it, clasping her hands around the small bug. "Gotcha," she chimed.

Suddenly, a pale glow pierced through the gaps in between her fingers. She opened her hands and gasped as a white butterfly flitted around her once before returning to its previous path.

"Huh? What happened?" The waiter, now back to his normal self, sat up and yelled, seeing none other than Chat Noir looming over him. "M-Monster! The monster!" He cried, scurrying back and away from the cat boy.

Ladybug stopped him, crouching down next to him and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's okay! It's okay now! Everything's fine. Chat Noir's not going to hurt you. Trust me."

When his gaze landed on her, Chat could see a faint blush form on the waiter's face and he visibly bristled. Why, he couldn't understand. Ladybug wasn't his really. He had no claim on her life, especially not in anyone else's point of view. They'd never be over his monster status, it seemed. For a moment, he came to the conclusion that perhaps she would never accept his love because she was afraid he'd snap at her again. He mentally brushed the thought away. He would not be jealous or upset over such trivial things.

"Chat... Noir?" The man peered up at the destructive hero, a wave of realization crossing his face. He turned back to Ladybug with a smile and nod. "You both saved me. Thank you."

"No problem. It's what we're here for."


	11. Chapter 11

The pond stilled. Fluttering above it was a distinctly purple butterfly, moving steadfast and aimlessly around the open air.

The instinct to pounce was practically begging Plagg to move after it. He slumped into the grass, scowling at the idea. He was too lazy for that. After eating that last offering of cheese, his tiny body slowly lost the desire to move about or even float. He resigned to merely watching the action of his chosen through the water's surface, as was the pond's purpose.

His ear twitched at a nearby sound, like the tinkling of a bell. He gave a pout but made no other indication to move. No, he was perfectly fine with being a layabout. It better suited his personality.

"They did well, don't you think?" Tikki asked as she landed on top of him.

He moaned and closed his eyes, not wanting any part in her desire for conversation. Laying still, he relaxed and eased into a purr as he felt a gentle touch on his head.

"What am I going to do with you?" He heard her say with a sigh.

Opening one eye, he mulled over the question and hummed in response. "Give me more pets and cheese. Actually, you should trust me more in taking care of my chosen on my own." He rolled over to his left when the weight on his back shifted right.

She sat down next to him, observing the pond's vision as it unfolded. Without a word, she gave him his reply.

"You lied, Tikki. You said you wouldn't interfere and you _did_ ," he reminded her. He twitched his whiskers and fell back into his nap, rather upset with having to say those words. He shouldn't have had to.

"I know that, Plagg, and we both know the reason why I couldn't let your chosen go alone. I had to. It's how our bond works," she said, sounding sad and guilty. He knew why. Tikki wasn't the type to lie so blatantly and want to get away with it. She also didn't like seeing Plagg upset either.

He gave up on his nap and rolled his head onto her lap. Her apologetic gaze made his stomach twist (or maybe all that camembert was finally fighting back after so many years). "Don't give me that look. You know I don't like it," he mumbled as he placed a paw on her cheek.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. If anything, I should say that." He dropped his paw and curled up closer. "I get jealous and selfish a lot of times and make messes because of it but there's always a certain kwami always there to fix my mistakes. You know who that is? That's you, Tikki. You shouldn't apologize for anything."

"Plagg?"

"Ever."

"Plagg, Nooroo can't get back."

"What?" He was suddenly forced into the air, Tikki dragging him close to the surface of the pond to see the view better. They focused on the shadowy setting, the vague outline of a human in the darkness.

Gabriel grunted as pain shot through his chest. What on earth was going on? His servant had failed and suddenly... As his magic faded away, he placed one hand on his chest and the other on his mouth. A strange bile shot up his throat and the taste was appalling.

Out of a tingling reflex, he coughed. In his hand, a spatter of something dark; he couldn't quite tell what it was in this darkness.

"Nooroo," he called, "Nooroo, what is happening to me?" Frantically waving his hand around in the darkness and grimacing at the wrenching pain in his gut, he searched the room for the kwami. Unable to find the magical butterfly sprite, the famous fashion designer made his way to the door. He buried his screams of agony in the back of his mind and throat, wanting to hide away any indication of trouble from both his assistant and son.

"Nooroo," he cried weakly down one of the empty hallways, receiving no response.

The man had never felt so weak to the point of torturous fatigue. Was it possible his body was rejecting the use of magic? No, any human could use it. He learned that from the information he read beforehand. It was the reason why he was so personally on board with finding some ancient creature from another realm of existence. Because it was safe to assume he was capable of handling the power.

What was going on then? Where was Nooroo to explain this? Why was he so nauseous and tired? And the headache was only growing worse with each step too. What was happening? His thoughts were reeling through his mind and only making the pain more unbearable.

"Nooroo, I-"


	12. Chapter 12

A few days after the magical mishap and clean up, Adrien couldn't have been more pleased with himself. While he hadn't been able to meet up with Ladybug after the Order Up debacle, he'd certainly found time to mess with his new enhanced strength and test out his limitations. Whenever he was left alone in his room, he took to climbing up the walls and running laps on all fours until physical exhaustion set in. He felt so much more active and athletic than he used to be.

He had learned from Ladybug that he had to keep his Chat Noir life separate from his normal one. The thing she hadn't brought up was him using his powers throughout his regular life. He was confident she wouldn't mind him trying his agility out during fencing and gym time.

His fencing instructor, his photographer, and even Nathalie had noticed the difference in him. He was much more alert, stronger, and excitable than before.

How strange was it to have never heard mention of it from his friends? A little bit but he honestly never thought the topic important enough to bring up with them.

His positive attitude, however, turned heads. All four of them were planning to enjoy lunch time together. Adrien had a subtle skip to his step and a much brighter smile as he walked.

"What's got you so excited, dude?" Nino asked.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just... Happier, I guess," He replied vaguely. Adrien had a double life to keep secret, obviously.

"Really? Even after what happened to your dad?" His best friend clearly didn't believe him, an eyebrow rising in confusion.

Before Adrien could respond, Alya stepped in. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What happened to your dad?"

Hearing _this_ particular subject brought up by someone else let through the memory of his return back to his home after the fight with Order Up. He sighed, wondering where to begin with the incident. "Well, I got home late a few days ago and there was an ambulance waiting there. Apparently, my dad was coughing up blood but no one knows why; like not even he does. He claims he wasn't doing anything before to trigger it but then suddenly he collapsed and felt absolutely terrible."

"And you didn't tell us about it?" Alya seemed a little upset at being left out of the loop.

"I didn't think it was all that important to you guys," he said with a small shrug. As they continued to walk, he heard the girls whisper things to each other.

"I'm not gonna tell Adrien that!" Marinette exclaimed out of nowhere, waving her arms around to exaggerate her refusal.

"Tell me what?" Now it was his turn to feel left out. He watched the two bicker quietly to one another before Alya covered Marinette's mouth and turned to the guys.

"Marinette almost died in a car accident and she doesn't want you to know about it for some reason," she explained, a sinister smirk on her face when her friend shoved her away and started yelling incoherently.

She almost what? Adrien's shock was evident on his face, from the wide-eyed look he gave the nervous girl to the small stutter of "Wh-What?"

"Oh yeah," Nino said, "That was the day you bailed on us to go do whatever it was you didn't tell us about."

Adrien gulped, a heavy guilt settling in his stomach. As much as Marinette reassured him she was fine, it still weighed on him that he wasn't there to help her. Perhaps he could have stopped it from happening and saved the poor girl the pain of the accident. "Wait, why am I just learning this now?"

The designer visibly cringed and her eyes darted away from him. "I... It doesn't really matter anyway. I didn't get hurt or anything. I wasn't paying attention..."

"And almost _died_. It definitely matters, Marinette. You matter," he insisted. If he had been Chat Noir, his cat ears would have fallen flat the more he watched her shake her head.

"I'm _fine_." She forced the words out one last time, then turned and ran in the direction of her home.

He saw tears form before she sprinted off and he bolted after her. She was not in any way fine, no matter what she tried making him believe. He could hear his friends following behind him, thankful they were just as persistent in helping Marinette as he was.

The slam of another door came right when he opened the entrance to the bakery. Though overwhelmed by the fresh smell of bread and sweets, Adrien was dead-set on finding the girl. He scrambled towards the counter, where her mother stood in quiet surprise.

"Where's Marinette?"

The woman stared at the three teens, seeing the worry in each of their expressions. She quickly understood what her daughter had meant by her demand. Shaking her head, Sabrine watched their faces fall and shoulders slump. She felt bad but Marinette didn't want to talk to them, for a reason they seemed to know.

It was a secret she wasn't allowed to tell. Marinette hated not being able to explain to her friends everything that was going on with her life now.

Her face landed in one of her pillows, the intrusive thought of smothering herself brushed aside immediately.

For Marinette, she hadn't tried using her magic whatsoever. She didn't particularly have any dislike for her powers, just no need to use them. She would rather not discuss her ability to revive either or so much as bring mention to the accident related to it.

Honestly, as great as being a hero sounded, it left a weird taste in her mouth to think she was only doing this to have her wish granted. Only worse was how dangerous the stakes seemed to be. No matter what a villain might try, as long as she had a spot somewhere on her Ladybug outfit, she was perfectly fine.

She was perfectly fine.

No, she wasn't. She felt horrible and disgusted with herself. She felt greedy, unheroic, and deceitful towards everyone, especially her friends. Especially Alya.

A knock sounded at the trapdoor, followed closely by the squeak of its hinges.

"Marinette," called her father, peeking through and searching the room for her. "Marinette, are you okay? You mother said you ran up here and your friends are still waiting for you downstairs. They want to talk to you."

She couldn't see his face. She wouldn't dare look straight into his kind eyes and lie to him. "I'm fine, papa, but... Can you tell them to leave? I just want to be alone right now." Sniffling and curling up into her pillow, Marinette did her best to ignore the sad sigh and the trapdoor shutting, heavy shoes thumping against the stairs.

These lies were worse, natural but untrue. Marinette didn't want to be alone. She wanted her friends to know, for her mouth stop moving before she thought through her answers, to not have this secret anymore.

Was a wish really worth this much?

Adrien mulled over the thought of going up to her balcony as Chat Noir and trying to comfort her like he had Ladybug. He could do it, but maybe Marinette was afraid of his alter ego like half of Paris was and he'd only make things worse.

He tapped a pen to his lips, poked the top against his forehead, then dropped it to the table and sighed.

"Dude, don't tell me you're still thinking about it. It's not your fault," remarked Nino, who had already distracted himself from the homework the trio had decided to deal with early rather than never in his case.

With a groan, Adrien rested his head on top of his open textbook. How could anyone not be worried? He was still unable to handle the thoughts swimming through his mind.

After being unable to comfort poor Marinette, the group decided to have lunch at Adrien's home. It was quiet and they were guaranteed to be left alone if he asked Nathalie nicely.

"Yeah, Adrien. Marinette said she didn't want to talk about it, so we won't. I feel bad for bringing it up, but she didn't seem so worried about it the day after that I thought it was okay to tell you." Alya sighed and stared at the screen of her phone languidly.

He was wrong. They were all worried. He could see the distraught in the way Nino placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Well, Marinette wouldn't want us moping around about it all day," the DJ reminded them, grabbing the small bag of sweets he'd decided to buy from the bakery before they left. "Want one?" He waved one of the cookies in front of Adrien's mouth.

A bit reluctantly, the model took it. His friend was right, though. The whole reason why Marinette didn't want to bring the whole thing up was because she didn't want them upset. Maybe it was better to move on from it for her sake.

Alya hesitated as much as he had in taking Nino's offering but resigned just the same. "Fine. So, Adrien, I bet now that your dad's stuck on bed rest, you have a lot of free time, right?" She asked in her curious future-reporter voice.

"Yeah, I guess I do. Why?"

"You wanna help me find out some more details on Paris' heroic duo for the Ladyblog?" She gave a sheepish and toothy grin; if anything a little too hopeful for a good response.

"Ladyblog?" He tilted his head and heard Nino snicker behind his textbook. Was he not supposed to ask?

"It was originally a blog I made for theories on the monster, but since it turns out he's actually a good guy named Chat Noir, I decided to change it up. It kinda became the Ladyblog because my other ideas sounded really dumb." She scrolled through her phone until she found what she was looking for, then held it up for him to see. "For now, I use it for theories and information on Ladybug and Chat Noir's powers and whereabouts, but I hope that at some point I can get an interview with them to post up for everyone to see," she explained excitedly.

Adrien faked a laugh, a talent he had picked up from the modeling business, and said, "That's pretty cool. I'm not sure if I can be much help, though."

"Bro, you're encouraging her. Don't. I literally sat through her talking about it for hours yesterday and trust me, it's not fun," Nino suggested, scarfing down another cookie.

"Aren't you curious about them, though?" Alya asked with an enthusiastic bounce in her seat, "They've only been around for a few days and already it's all anyone at school can talk about. I've read so many articles discussing things like who they might be out of costume and what their animal connections are to their magic. Some people think Chat might be like a werecat that can transform at will and Ladybug is some fairy hero here to stop evil from taking over Paris." She gave a small roll of the eyes at her last sentence.

"Don't you think that's a little too... Personal?" Adrien questioned, fear on the edge of his tongue. If she found out their secret identities, then who knows what Plagg and Tikki would do? Not grant their wishes, he assumed. "What if they don't want people to know who they really are?"

Alya sat back and thought about it. "I mean, it wouldn't be so bad to ask, right? And, if anything, I won't post it up if they don't want me to. Their secrets would be safe with me."

That was the bad part; no one could know Adrien and Ladybug's secret identities. He wanted to say something to that nature but held back the words. "I guess so," he said instead.

"So you'll help?"

"Like I said, I'm probably won't helpful with something like that. When my dad gets better, he'll definitely be working me back into my schedule and then some." He wondered for a second if _if he gets better_ was a better way to phrase that. No, that was a terrible thing to even think about. His father would heal through whatever bug was eating him.

His wish would fix it if all else failed. That was a guarantee Adrien could sleep with. Things would be better once his mother came back and his father was happy again.


	13. Chapter 13

It was impossible to know what lead her out that early evening. Nevertheless, it felt nice to stand up atop a building and have the cool breeze following right on her back.

Marinette attributed the desire to suggestion. Her magic spiked out in her hand while she wept alone on her bed. The attempt to crush fate's notion did nothing, no matter how tightly she balled her left hand into a fist, nails digging into the flesh of her palm. Like a disease, her suit appeared in a wave of bright pink light, up her arm and traveling along her entire shaky form until she was the hero again. She didn't feel like one, though.

Despite the hesitancy, she leaped over the streets of Paris with ease. It wasn't better, merely an activity to calm her nerves and satisfy whatever her magic wanted her to do.

"Girl, you need to relax. I'm sure Ladybug and Chat Noir don't want to be hit with a ton of personal questions as much as the next superhero." She recognized that voice; it was Nino's. Taking a quick glance down at the sidewalk, she immediately regretted trying to find them.

"Hey, wait. Isn't that her?" That was Adrien's voice. Why did it have to be him, the last person she wanted to see right now? They made eye contact, her body rigid and the faintest blush that quickly disappeared once she snapped out of it.

"No way. Ladybug?" There was Alya's. "Hey, Ladybug, can we get a few questions answered for the Ladyblog? It won't take more than a few seconds." Marinette could hear the eagerness in her words. They gnawed at the core of her guilt. She'd never know it was her best friend under this mask.

What was the Ladyblog? She didn't know but she'd have to ask tomorrow. For now, she wanted no part in it. Turning on her heel, she was about to leap away, only to be caught off guard.

"Wait, Ladybug! C-Can you come down here for a second?"

"Adrien, what are you doing?" Nino's tone of concern struck something in the back of her mind.

Standing there, waiting, she dared herself to glimpse back for one second.

"L-Look, I know it's a long shot and you might be busy with something else but... Well, I- We- have this friend who's feeling down right now and she says she wants to be alone but I just... I'm worried she might do something risky and... I was hoping you could go talk to her and maybe comfort her. Please?" The way his low-spirited expression twisted her thoughts, made her heart crush, laced doubt into her next decision; that stung.

It lured her down, urged her to stand before the trio and speak out. "You mentioned that she wanted to be alone, right? I think you should at least let her have that. Give her space to work out her feelings. Besides, it might not be my place to interfere." Keeping a straight and determined facade, she nodded to Nino and Alya, gave a weak smile, and ran over to the nearest alley.

Using a dumpster as a step up to the rooftops, she found herself racing along once again. Marinette distracted herself by keeping this continuous speed, leaping and tumbling across the higher ground. She would let her mind dwell no more on the subject. She couldn't keep feeling this way forever.

And yet he cared. Adrien cared so much for her well being; enough to request her alter ego find her and help her feel better. The request wrenched her heart around a thousand different angles. No. She wouldn't think about it, wouldn't shed another tear, wouldn't mention it ever again.

No matter which way he let the thought sink in, he hated knowing it was better this way. Adrien couldn't let the idea rest that Marinette would be fine. She clearly wasn't. He felt responsible for pressing further onto the subject.

He needed to know if she was okay. It was his fault; he needed to make her feel better. He needed to know she would be. He needed to placate the need.

So Chat Noir slunk through the shadows in the late evening, shying away from pedestrians and not wanting to be seen by Ladybug if she was still out and about. He wouldn't want her questioning why he was searching for Marinette without any logical reason. She'd definitely be suspicious of his desperate behavior but he had to know if she was still okay.

Carefully stepping onto her balcony, he eyed the trapdoor. He vaguely remembered the last time he was in her room with Alya and Nino, long before he had received these powers. They had all come up to this balcony from the steps to her bed, which meant it would be right there when he peered through the glass door. The cat shuffled closer, body tense and mind buzzing with simple hope.

The low glow of the green seams of his suit shed some light on the bed below. He could see it; the vague, curled up form of Marinette sleeping in peaceful silence. He would have jumped for joy if it didn't make so much noise to do so. She was still okay. He couldn't see any tear tracks in her eyes and her body wasn't in the least bit restless. His mind at ease, Chat scampered back to his home, humming in delight as he went. He was hopeful things would be better in the morning.

He didn't know what he was doing. At first, he'd been woken up by faint footsteps but they had disappeared when he tried listening in intently to them. Sitting up, Gabriel found his glasses and placed them on, scanning the room for signs of someone lurking. After being unable to sense any prying eyes, he stood and made his way to the door. When he pressed an ear to it and heard nothing from the other side, he turned back to his bed.

At the nightstand, he opened a drawer and pulled out a book. His left eye twitched at the sight of the cover, though he had no clue why. Opening it, he flipped to the page he desired and whispered the words, a seemingly mixed batch of letters and phrases, aloud until his right hand flowed with dark purple energy.

The weary eyed Nooroo glanced up at the fashion designer. He yawned, stretching his tiny body and flapping his light wings. "Couldn't this wait until morning?" He drawled.

"I wouldn't be able to in the morning, you fool. I haven't been able to _at all_ because of what happened, which by the way, you gave no explanation to when I asked," the human reminded his rather annoying kwami.

The butterfly creature pouted but the bravery faltered when he shivered. Why did the human realm have to be so cold? Why did Nooroo leave that book with this vile man? He should've taken it when he had the opportunity.

"Nooroo, I won't take to being ignored or denied the answers I want. Tell me what happened," Gabriel growled, eyes narrowed into a sharp glare.

The kwami flickered his glow, trembling under the scrutiny and cool air around him. He sighed, not in the least bit wanting to explain himself. It would hinder his plan, though only slightly. "First off, your summoning of me into your world doesn't help at all. Kwami aren't supposed to be forced here against their will. It weakens me a lot when you do. Secondly, you lost to those two when your akuma was defeated. When that Ladybug cleansed the white butterfly of your magic, you lost some of it. Since it's already so little thanks to my weakened state, you were greatly affected by the loss. That leads to the last fact; the one where you don't have a lot of magic to begin with, since you're not _technically_ my chosen, so you were basically ripped of some of your regular human energy as well as your magic. You were reckless and didn't ask questions before, so this is what you get."

He regretted his final statement, spite laced into his words that would only lead him to more trouble. Nooroo knew and yet, he didn't care. The more he did what he was told, the closer he was to being free of this evil curse.

"How do you obtain more magic then? There must be some way to get more."

Quick thinking was Nooroo's only saving grace at the moment. "Get some rest for now. I'll tell you once you're better enough to use the magic again. Please." Begging seemed like a good way to be on the human's good side for now. He needed some more time. Just a week or so.

A week was all he'd need.


	14. Chapter 14

**Wow, I haven't done an AN on here before. This is new, okay. Hi. Weird time to be updating this story and adding an AN to an already long chapter, I know. BUT I'm doing this because after the next update (Chapter 15), this story is going on temporary hiatus because a certain someone decided to message me a _"_ _lovely"_ comment about this story and after deleting it and taking some time off, it really bummed me out despite all my plans to finish this story. I know where I wanted this story to go and everything, but my intrinsic motivations were lacking after that mess so I never got around to continuing the next few chapters. **

**Yeah, basically I started Chapter 16, but am probably not going to finish it anytime soon because of negative reviews and lack of motivation. Sorry.**

 **But hey, if I ever get around to continuing this (because I _do_ still have some one-shots written for this fandom that are much more... light-hearted), I'll get rid of this AN and you guys get more to read. **

**For now though, this and the next chapter are all you get. I'm terrible and feel really bad for leaving my plans behind, and a lot of you guys will either skip this or not care, but negative comments _never_ feel good to me. I already get super self-conscious with fanfics as it is. **

**So... Enjoy what's left, I guess. Also, I'm warning that this particular chapter gets _violent_ at one point (like Chapter 8, since that one was the reason for the message I _so gratefully_ received), so that's that. **

* * *

"Oh, please."

Marinette perked up at the sound of Alya's derision. Looking over from her sketchbook to her friend, she noticed the blogger scowl at her phone, then begin rapidly typing something. "Um, should I ask?"

When Alya finished, she slumped back onto the bench and finally responded, "Someone on the Ladyblog forums is saying that Ladybug's moved on and left already. As if. I saw her just last week and she didn't look like she was leaving anytime soon."

Well, she wasn't wrong about that; that's for sure. Turning back to her drawings, Marinette felt a twinge of worry and guilt sprout back inside her. So she hadn't been Ladybug for a while. It wasn't any reason for people to doubt she'd be back to save the day. She told Tikki she was fine waiting until whoever this Hawkmoth was decided to strike back a second time. It wasn't like the designer wasn't practicing every once in a while.

Over the weekend, she found herself designing dresses and in the burst of inspiration, her magic created small red paper cranes. At first, she hid the two she had accidentally created, but after a couple more, she was only forming the paper and decided to learn how to fold her own. It was soothing and became a small reminder that her wish would be close to coming true. Creating them also helped with her Lucky Charm practice. It was a nice balance.

"Ugh," Alya grumbled with a roll of her eyes, "They're calling her out on her so-called five minutes of fame. Are you kidding me? Who does this guy think he is? She _saved_ restaurant employees from an evil villain. It's been the talk of the town for days. She's a hero." She held her phone screen away from herself in disgust.

"I'm sure she'd be happy to hear you say that," Marinette replied with a small giggle. After learning about Alya's extreme interest (because she denied calling it an obsession) with Ladybug and Chat Noir, she felt proud to be Ladybug now and help save Paris from whatever problems the population had. Alya believing in her was enough to pull through the days of worrying.

"It's time, Nooroo. He's going to come asking so many questions," the kwami murmured to himself in defeat. He could hear the slow walk of his captor towards the room. No matter how much he told himself he was ready for this, he knew he wasn't. There was nothing he could do but tell the truth. Any excuses or lies he thought up were so easy to see through and refute.

The door creaked open and the dozens of butterflies surrounding the small creature scattered. Nooroo flew to Gabriel's side, reluctant but knowing he had no choice.

"I see you're walking on three legs now. Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked the human. Despite not wanting to be a part of this, Nooroo's unease knew better than to be cruel.

"The cane is only for show. I'm perfectly capable enough to create another akuma." The man waved the cane around and stepped to the center of the room to prove his point. "This time, however, I demand you stay put and not wander off if anything bad happens," Gabriel ordered, pointing the end accusingly at the glowing kwami.

Nooroo slowly nodded, not in the greatest mood to argue, then observed the butterflies swarming around in a flurry. Hawkmoth took the human's place, a confident smirk already present on his face as his suit ebbed with purple energy.

"Now, tell me how to obtain more power," the villain demanded.

Hesitantly, clearing his throat before he did, Nooroo explained, "It's magic, sir. The more you use it and practice and become better at using it, the more you get to use. Almost like the power adapts to your limits and becomes more efficient with what it has."

"So if I use it again, it won't hurt me?" There was an eager glimmer in those eyes.

"Well, in your case, not as much as before. And the pain only comes because you lose to Ladybug. Her cure takes some your magic away, like a precaution of sorts. You _only have_ some magic, but the more akumatized people you create, the more you'll eventually have."

Hawkmoth placed a hand on his chin in thought. "Interesting. Will I be able to transform more than one person at some point?" He asked, hopeful and deliberate.

"It... Takes time..." Nooroo shifted his gaze to the large open window, "Just focus on what you have now. If you want your wish, you have to keep at it. Those children, the chosen, Ladybug and Chat Noir; you want them, right? Then send an akuma after a school. Someone gullible enough to follow your orders. They're bound to attract or even attack one of them."

"And when one comes" —Hawkmoth released the purple butterfly from his hands— "the other follows right after."

"Yar har har!"

One of the actors flinched at the laughter, then doubled back to the dressing room he could have sworn he heard it coming from. He gripped the styrofoam treasure chest closer, then eased the door open.

He practically fell to the floor in surprise when a sword met his chin. Though usually, they were props for the show, this one was sharp and gleaming with the threat of slicing him to bits.

"Ye'll be th' start o' me crew then."

"How long until you admit they might just be actors, Alya?" Kim asked, peering over the girl's shoulder at the blog on her phone.

"Actors? Really? How do you explain their magic then?" She retorted, unimpressed by this new theory. When she looked over her shoulder, her eyes grew wide at the smug expression he gave.

Max stood by his side and, while a little less confident, seemed to be able to explain. "You can call it magic, yes, but slight of hand and a few special effects don't exactly make for actual superheroes. For all we know, it could merely be promotion and chosen places to turn into sets for a movie or show in the making."

"You're kidding. You two won't quit until there's actual proof that-"

"Charge!"

The entire class averted their attention to the windows, watching as an army of pirates scrambled towards the school.

Adrien and Marinette both tensed subtly. Another villain? Here? Why here? Class was about to resume. Everyone was going about their days without trouble but now, this.

"Just my luck," Adrien whispered, stumbling away at the teacher's command to evacuate. He turned towards the restroom, waiting a few seconds before heading inside. When he checked to see if anyone was around and found no one, he transformed.

The green crawling along his skin spiked out of his pores and spun around him like a swarm, disappearing into the seams of his suit once it formed. He curled his fingers, claws jutting out like daggers. Much better. Everything felt great being Chat Noir. His excess energy pulsed out in waves and he felt he could bounce off the walls if he wanted to.

When the screams of terror faded away from the door, he scuttled out and climbed up the wall, making his way to the roof of the school. From this new vantage point, he could see a man floating around on what looked to be a plank of wood and wearing...

"That's... a pirate," Chat spoke to no one in particular, ears drooping in concern. Was he really not only the strangely dressed character in Paris these days? Honestly, he thought the villains he'd encounter would have been even the smallest bit more terrifying than _this_. With a dissatisfied sigh, he turned, dropped from the tall height of the building and landed calmly before the crowd of students and few teachers that were barring the main entrance with whatever they could find.

Twitching back at the sudden red flashing before him, he instantly realized who it was and beamed like the happiest child on Christmas.

"There you are, chaton. I was hoping you would be here," Ladybug said in delight. She held a long metal staff in her hands, one which sported her usual red color. He could already see a plan being calculated through in those brilliant blue eyes. He swooned over her tone and words and her presence in general.

"Of course, my lady. This cat is always punctual to our meetings," he replied with a short bow. He was tempted, acted a little too hastily when he took her hand, then kissed her fingers lightly, a brush of his lips against the magical suit.

She giggled, drawing her hand back. "I'll excuse the elaborate pun for now, silly Chat."

"Miss Ladybug! Thank goodness you've come," called a man as he ran towards the duo. Chat recognized him as Mr. Damocles. The principal wiped a bit of sweat from his brow from fear and shook her hand in greeting.

"We came as soon as we saw trouble, sir," she answered dutifully, "We'll need everyone to stay inside the school. Let no one through the entrance until we've taken care of the villain and his crew. Have whoever you can get block any other ways in. Can you do that?"

At the principal's approval, the duo sprang into action. Helping Ladybug back up to the roof of the school, he pointed out the pirate circling around the streets in front of the school. "Do you think he's like Order Up?" He asked.

She glanced at him like she never considered the thought. Her expression turned to concern when she pointed to the army trying to force their way into the school. When he reminded her of the chef somewhat under their previous villain's control, she returned her gaze to the air-surfing pirate. "Huh. Good eye there, Chat."

Before he could properly react, she pet his head once, then ran across the rooftop to jump down and confront the pirate villain. He was momentarily frozen on the spot, cat instincts unable to properly assess the touch, but clarity struck him when he heard her call for him to help.

"So you two are th' ones Captain Hawkmoth wants ole Jolly Beard t' send t' Davey Jones' Locker," exclaimed the pirate, swinging his sword around confidently.

"Told you," Chat whispered to Ladybug as he knocked another lackey out of the way.

Despite there being a lot of them, the crew wasn't difficult to bat away, especially when Ladybug tossed him the metal staff. That was when the fun really kicked in. He couldn't help laughing when another pirate tried grabbing him and he was easily able to knock the man over. The satisfaction was a strange sensation. Adrien wasn't sure what to think of it.

Finally able to ward off enough of them, Ladybug summoned another Lucky Charm, a length of red rope. She knew exactly what to do. While Chat Noir kept the rest of the goons busy, she turned the rope into a lasso and swung it at the flying pirate.

"Shiver me timbers! The landlubber's got me!"

"Chat, I think we found something worse than your bad puns," Ladybug mocked, tugging the man down off the plank. He was surprisingly resilient for someone who looked rather thin in that getup.

"Heave ho, my Lady," he cried back jokingly, practically walking over falling bodies by this point.

She rolled her eyes and yanked back until the plank started descending under the force of her strength.

Acting fast, Chat pounced onto the plank when it was low enough to the ground. His Cataclysm prepared, he slammed his right paw onto the wood and watched in amazement as it disintegrated into ashes.

Everything went crashing down once Jolly Beard fell to the pavement. His cutlass sliced through the rope, freeing him from capture. He scrambled to attack Ladybug with his sword, but Adrien quickly parried with the metal staff.

"Go after th' lass, ye fools! This ol' sea dog'll take care of th' feisty cat." The villain's voice was gruff and scratchy to Chat's ears, but the determined tone was smooth and foreboding. Were it not for the thrill still coursing through Chat's muscles, he would have been terrified of the threat.

Feeling confident in his ability to hold a sword, Chat lashed out at the pirate. He could hear the sounds of a struggle where Ladybug was and his gaze flicked to her before he immediately had to dodge Jolly Beard's attack.

"Yo ho ho, young scallywag! Ye best be tryin' harder than that t' save yer hide," Jolly Beard taunted, a malicious and not-so-toothy grin plastered on his face. He swung in retaliation to Chat's disbelieving expression, then tried again.

Alya had to see what was happening. She had to know, record it, then post it on the Ladyblog. No way could Kim or anyone else deny that this fight was proof Ladybug and Chat Noir were superheroes. She held her phone out, eagerly taking in every beat down of one of the crewmates and each clash of sword and staff.

"Enough games, Jolly Beard. What's your aim?" Chat questioned, glaring down the possessed man as they crossed their weapons once again. He faltered back a few steps when they separated, unsure of what that sharp gleam in those black eyes really meant.

"Captain Hawkmoth gave me th' order t' feed the fishes yer dead carcasses. That means ye'll be shark bait once this buccaneer's done wit' ye. Then me crew 'n I shall plunder this whole city o' all 'tis worth. That'll prove I be th' best pirate fer th' role!" Without a lick of warning, the pirate slashed at Chat, startling the cat boy.

"Let me go!" Ladybug screamed, kicking her legs into the air and squirming in the goon's hold. If she hadn't have been so clumsy with that rope, she would have been able to tie this last man up with the others like she had been doing. Thankfully he couldn't release his companions while he had her to deal with and Chat was able to handle Jolly Beard for now. She tried worming her left hand out through the rope to create another Lucky Charm but to no avail.

This was definitely not a favorable situation to be in. Her eyes widened when she saw Chat Noir fall back, the staff clattering against the sidewalk. He was barely able to hold Jolly Beard's cutlass away by forcing his claws deep into the pirate's suit.

"Chat!"

"Seems ye were too confident fer yer own good. Now I would 'ave had ye walk th' plank as punishment, but since ye destroyed it, I'll 'ave t' use much more... Direct means o' gettin' rid o' ye," the villain announced, cackling as he forced his sword closer and closer to-

"No!"

"Dir-" He gagged, blood spurting from his mouth and wide eyes dimming in their bright green color. His arms slipped and fell to the concrete, sharp nails clicking against the hard ground.

He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. No. No, no, no. Chat promised he wouldn't be reckless. This wasn't what was actually happening. There wasn't that much blood. Jolly Beard wasn't laughing and swinging his sword around because didn't win.

She wasn't going to let him.

"Ye lads needs t' learn how t' handle troublemakers like these. Clean 'n quick, says I. Here I'll show ye again."

A flash of light engulfed the captured hero and the pirate holding her. No one could tell what was happening until he was suddenly flying through the air, landing with the rest of the defeated pile in front of the school. The fading light grabbed the staff and before Jolly Beard knew it, the rest of his crewmates were unconscious.

"Wha' th'-"

"Speak again and I'll do more than knock you out like the rest of them," Ladybug hissed, hitting the bloody sword out of the final pirate's hand. Her sharp blue eyes sliced through his fearless facade with vengeful intent. She kicked him down, smirking as she watched him scurry away.

"Now, Miss Ladybug, ye know ye won't kill me. Thar be witnesses; children, jus' like ye. Th' city will call ye a villain, as bad as me if ye 'ave th' guts." The pirate chuckled, flourishing a hand in somewhat gentle negotiation. He trembled under her scrutinous gaze.

She swiped at his head, the end catching his black pirate hat as he screamed. Her dark expression disappeared, though sadness still lingered in her eyes. "You're right. I don't have the guts," she admitted calmly, taking the hat in her hands and tearing it in half. "Then again, neither does Hawkmoth." She carefully caught the butterfly that fluttered out, letting the warm glow of her magic free it from whatever darkness their enemy cast upon it.

His coughing dripped more blood onto the floor. All his weight shifted to the cane in his hands, his entire body unsteady and ill-prepared for this moment again. Hawkmoth slowly turned back into Gabriel and glowered at Nooroo.

"You said... It wouldn't hurt..."

"I said no such thing. I told you it wouldn't hurt as much, but all you heard was more magic. In your case, magic comes with sacrifice," Nooroo reminded the human. He darted towards the door, clearly biding his time until Gabriel tried hurting him.

"At least one of them is dead," grumbled the fashion designer as he slowly and cautiously made his way out.

"You would think that, wouldn't you?"


	15. Chapter 15

Adrien blinked. A striking pain lodged itself in his neck and his mouth tasted like wet copper. He whined, the feeling in his limbs taking way too long to return. The sun hit his eyes and he squeezed them shut. He sat up and spat out the pool of thick liquid sitting on his tongue. His throat felt dry and his body unnaturally renewed.

What just happened?

"Chat? Chat, you're alive!" More red flashed into existence across his vision, overtaken by the ecstatic expression of the one and only Ladybug. Her arms were around him and his heart rattled with familiar distress.

Taking a look around, he saw that Jolly Beard had been turned back to normal, as had his crew into the innocent civilians they originally were.

"Whoa..." His classmates were nearing them, most of their faces filled with shock and terror. Most of them, anyway.

"Are you two immortal?" Alya asked, moving a bit faster to receive the best shot for her blog.

He could feel Ladybug's muscles tense and they both looked to the blogger, unsure of what to say. They both knew the answer was a definite no, but it was being this close to the people they saw so regularly that they stayed quiet. Ladybug shifted, standing over him and releasing a heavy breath.

"We can't really... Say... Um... Let's go, Chat," she said, holding her hand out to help. There was hesitation, fear, and doubt all mixing into her facade of bravery. He noticed it, partially curious if any of them had seen it too. He hoped it was just him.

"R-Right." As he took her fingers in his, he heard faint snickers and looked to their audience again. Before he could ask, Ladybug dragged him away, chiming out something along the lines of "patrol, chaton, back to patrol," when Alya persisted.

Patrol? They never did that. Well, Ladybug didn't. He liked stalking about at night as Chat Noir, ever since he'd snuck out to see Marinette. It was fun to see Paris in a whole new light- or in this case, lack thereof. During afternoon class, though, he'd never considered jumping around in this suit pretending to look for something.

If Ladybug was insisting, he'd go through with it. When they'd made it near the Eiffel Tower, he saw her body visibly relax, though not completely from what he could sense in her hold.

"Are you okay?" Her question came with that sliver of sadness she had when she came to him about her death.

Oh, wait. The blood. The sword. He had... "Ladybug, I'm so sorry. I know you said to be careful, but I completely forgot when we were fighting Jolly Beard and..." He pressed his new free hands to his face, a new wave of panic settling in his chest.

"Chat, it's okay. Y-You're fine now. I mean, you... It's okay." She held his shoulders, adding a squeeze of reassurance. "Do you... Remember what happened?"

The more he thought about it, the more his answer eventually became a slow nod. He felt so much better, but the image that kept cutting through his mind made him shiver. He would admit it firmly that he wasn't at all okay.

Was this what Ladybug had felt? Escaping death for another day, the blinding darkness consuming him, only to be spurred right out like he was waking up from a dream?

"Yeah, it was," she answered when he'd repeated the thought out loud. He could feel her thumb graze his lower lip. "I should have thought my plan through a little better. Been more careful myself. You were hurt and... I was really worried you wouldn't have nine lives to work through."

His mouth struggled through a thousand responses before he settled on, "Well, now I have eight to spend with you. And I'll make sure to not waste any more of them."

"Chat, please," she insisted, glowering at him.

"Sorry. I'm just... Trying to lighten the mood, I guess."

" _Trying to lighten the mood_? Kid, you really are awkward at this," Plagg commented while chewing.

Adrien kicked the misty ground, watching dirt mist up into the blue and gold sky. The clouds around here were positively stunning and the fact that champions could walk on them if they liked pleased him, even though he wasn't able to yet. He wasn't exactly keen on discussing the topic of his first death with Plagg, but after being consoled by Ladybug, he felt slightly better with the topic.

Maybe he was just good at hiding secrets. He'd learned to keep his mouth shut for the better part of a few years. That's what modeling and being Gabriel Agreste's son entailed.

"I'm sorry if I'm not exactly the greatest at talking to girls like you apparently are," he mocked, glaring at the magical black cat.

Plagg laughed. "The only times I ever want or need to talk to girls is when it's another kwami or a chosen and let me tell you" —the kitten floated in front of his face— "I'm extremely popular with all of them."

"Really? All of them? Yeah, right," Adrien replied with a roll of the eyes.

"Okay, a good majority, and a word of advice to make someone feel better; don't joke about death. Girls are emotional creatures." Plagg's matter-of-fact tone was grating to the ears and the explanation hurt Adrien personally.

"Guys can be emotional too," he responded, crossing his arms and pouting.

The shadowy cat landed on his head, finishing the rest of the stinky camembert offering before adding, "Whoops, did I say girls? I meant humans. Your species is always so touchy-feely and dramatic; sometimes it makes me want to barf."

Adrien heard the fake gag Plagg made in demonstration, only imagining the stupid expression included in for effect. Honestly, he almost wanted to mention that the gluttonous god was way more expressive than anyone he'd met before but he decided to drop that subject too.

"Plagg, can you tell me who this Hawkmoth guy is?"

"No, Marinette. We kwami are sworn to secrecy on the matter."

The girl sighed and stared at the still, reflective surface of the pond. Out of temptation, she dipped a finger in, watching in awe as the clear image of herself and Tikki became oil black and unclear. She could vaguely make out light filtering in through a window before she recognized her room.

"Whoa," she gasped, wide-eyed, "so that's how you watch Chat and me fight." She noticed her sleeping body and wondered how easy it would be for something to shock her back into that bed. Could she wake herself up from here?

"It's how we found out your wishes too," Tikki mentioned as she hovered over the water, "Watch." Tapping a tiny foot to the liquid surface, the image faded and changed into a fiery yellow swirl mixed with navy lines. As the kwami followed the spiral, the dark ripples became letters and a familiar name.

"Alya..." Marinette murmured.

"Yup, and here comes her wish." Right before her eyes, the letters danced like fish until they formed the phrase _find out Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities_ , then disappeared back into the molten gold. "For a while, it was _to become a hero_ and a bit before that it was _make a new friend at my new school_. I have to say Marinette, you're very good at granting people's wishes for them."

Marinette tilted her head to the kwami, an eyebrow rising on confusion. "How?" She only knew Alya's. How had she been granting other's wishes?

Tikki giggled, the sound like a bell. "I'm sure you'll notice someday soon."

Who was Marinette satisfying the wish of? Adrien? Oh, if it was Adrien, she would barely be able to survive another day without knowing what his wish was. Maybe as class representative, she might have fulfilled one of her classmate's wishes? She couldn't quite think of who it could really be.

She was sure Tikki wouldn't mention who, which was why she tried guessing that first, but she realized then that figuring out who would also explain how. She slumped into the grass, creating a fog that slithered up through the air. She hated these cryptic answers Tikki gave.


End file.
